Maka and Ayo 2
by Chucklemaniac
Summary: Maka and Ayo have to tell the gang Maka's secret, before they figure it out themselves... Meanwhile, Ayo believes he killed the shadow witch, Kage, but will things go wrong when he finds out she is still alive? Maka x OC
1. Chapter 1

_**It is recommended that you read the first book, otherwise it will be extremely awkward! Also, I am not completely done with this book at the moment, unlike when I posted my first one book, so the updates will not be coming as fast... Rated T just for safety :)  
**_

**Chapter One**

**...**

**Ayo walked into his room and shut his door. **_**After a day like this, I just want to be alone.**_** Ayo thought. Not only did four people know him and Maka's secret, 3 of them knew an even bigger secret. That Maka was pregnant. The word stuck in his head, haunting him. **_**We're going to have to tell everyone, that, or they'll find out in a few months themselves.**_** Ayo thought. **_**I don't even know why I'm worrying about that, we're going to have to take care of a CHILD.**_** Ayo's thoughts were scattered when he heard a knock on he door. Hauling himself out of bed, he walked to the door and took off the latch. He opened the door to find Maka, a sad look on her face. **

**"So, you've been worried sick too, huh?" He replied in a knowing tone. **

**"Yes, I, I'm not sure what to do..." Maka replied, a hint of frustration and sadness in her voice. **

**"When are we going to tell everyone?"**

**"We might as well make posters and tape them to the bulletin board, once the news gets out everyone going to know. And that's the LEAST of my worries." Maka and Ayo stared at each other for a moment, then hugged. **

**"No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you." Ayo said. **

**"Ayo, no matter what happens, I'm glad you're here for me." Maka said embarrassingly. **

**"I'm sorry, was that too-" **

**"No, it's fine." Ayo interrupted Maka.**

**"Oh, well, me neither, I'm sorry I said that..."**

**"It's okay, I mean, how hard could raising a child be?" Ayo said in an unsure tone. **

**"I don't know, I don't know how to take care of a child, and I'm sure you don't either."**

**"We could ask someone, maybe Stein could help?" Maka gave Ayo an disapproving glance. **

**"Yeah, you're right, bad idea." Ayo added. **

**"Who here at he academy has had a child that we can trust?" Maka asked. **

**"We could ask Spirit for advi- OUCH!" Ayo yelped as he got Maka-Chopped. **

**"THAT'S AN EVEN WORSE IDEA THAN ASKING STEIN!" **

**"I'm sorry, sorry, okay? Who else is there at the academy who's had a kid?" Ayo asked, rubbing his head. **

**"The only person I can think of is... Lord Death..."**

**"What? Oh yeah, Kid is his son right? Could we ask him for advice maybe?"**

**"I think we should tell him, you know that you're..."**

**"Yeah, I should, huh."**

**"No, I'll go with you too, we should tell him together."**

**"You would do that?"**

**"Of course! As bad as it is, I'm not running from it."**

**"Thanks Ayo, that means a lot." Ayo and Maka stared at each other.**

**"Sooooo... Can I come over and help make dinner, and hopefully not be interrupted?" Ayo asked, breaking the awkward silence. **

**"Sure, I'm sure Soul won't mind."**

**"What does Soul have to say for all of this?" Ayo asked. **

**"He says that he's glad it's you and not him."**

**"Oh, okay." Ayo let go of Maka and they walked out of his dorm and into the hallway. The talk had relaxed Ayo, he wasn't worried as much after the talk. **_**As long as Maka is with me, I don't think I'll ever get over-worried.**_** Ayo thought to himself. Maka turned to her dorm door and knocked. Soul opened the door and looked at the duo. **

**"Hey, is it alright if Ayo helps me cook?"**

**"Sure, but lock the door on your way in. Whenever you come for a visit, we always get interrupted." Soul replied. Maka and Ayo headed for the kitchen, Maka opened the fridge door.**

**"So, what do you want to eat?"**

**"Whatever you want to eat." Ayo said. Memories flashed in his head. **_**This is what happened last time.**_** Ayo thought.**

**"We could make stir-fry? Would that be okay?" Ayo said hastily.**

**"Um, sure, let me check to see if we can make that." Maka said with a smile as she stuck her head in the fridge. "Was she thinking the same thing I was thinking?" Ayo thought.**

**"Yep, we can." Maka said as she pulled out a chicken breast with a variety of vegetables and peppers with sauces. "Do you know how to make it?" Maka asked.**

**"Oh, um, no, I don't."**

**"What's got you so worked up?" **

**"Huh, what do you mean?"**

**"You're starting to stutter again." Maka said with a smile. "And now you're blushing."**

**"Oh, it's nothing."**

**"Come on, Soul went to his room, he's not going to hear you. You can tell me." She said. Ayo started to blush more.**

**"Well, when you said that, it just, reminded me."**

**"Said what?" Maka asked, slightly blushing too. **

**"When you asked me what I wanted to eat..."**

**"Oh, yeah, I see." Maka said, blushing more. **

**"Sooooo... You were telling me how to make this?" Ayo said, desperately trying to hide his blushing.**

**"Ayo, if you could live that night again, would you?"**

**"Um... why do you ask that?" Ayo said in surprise. **

**"What bothers you? That night, or what happened after?"**

**"No, that night was... I can't even describe it. What bothers me is the fact that you're..."**

**"I'm what?"**

**"You know..."**

**"Oh... So, would you?"**

**"Yes, I would..." Ayo said after a long pause. "Why do you ask?" **

**"Didn't I already answer that?"**

**"No."**

**"Oh, um, we'll talk about it later." Maka replied hastily. **

**"Please! Can you please finish?"**

**"Well... Never mind, it was a stupid idea..."**

**"Come on, please tell me, I won't tell anybody."**

**"I'm not worried about that."**

**"Well, what are you worried about?"**

**"I feel that I would be asking for too much." Maka said with a saddened tone. **

**"Maka, I would do ANYTHING for you." Ayo said, bushing heavily. **

**"I... would you really?"**

**"Yes, of course, please, tell me."**

**"Well, I was wondering if I could spend the night... at your place." Maka said cautiously.**

**"Would Soul mind?"**

**"I, I haven't gotten that far yet." **

**"Just tell him you're having a sleeping party." Maka gave Ayo an misunderstood glance. **

**"Oh... you mean... you want to... wow, I..."**

**"Never mind, I -"**

**"Wait, um, sure, you can come over..." Ayo said, blushing more.**

**"You would do that? Even after what happened last time we did that?"**

**"But your already..."**

**"What?"**

**"You know..."**

**"Oh, yeah, you know... you can say that word."**

**"Yeah, but it makes me flinch every time somebody says it. It just feels awkward saying it."**

**"Yeah, it kind of does." Maka said. "So, what am I going to tell Soul?"**

**"You could tell him that were having a sleeping party."**

**"Wouldn't he be suspicious though? He also knows what happened the last time I came over." Maka explained. **

**"Yeah, um, well, I..."**

**"I have an idea, why don't I ask if I can study for the exam at your house. He goes to sleep around ten, so he wouldn't notice."**

**"Oh, okay, I can see that working."**

**"Okay, now we better be cooking before Soul get suspicious."**

**"Yeah, it's just that, well, I can't believe we're doing this... again." Ayo said with an awkward tone. **

**...**

**Ayo stared at his food, barely eating anything. His mind was repeating the moment at the last party when they danced. His thoughts were scattered when someone tapped his shoulder. **

**"Hey man, you all right?" Soul asked. **

**"Oh, everything's okay, everything's fine, okey dokey fine." Ayo replied hastily. Soul gave him a confused and worried glance, then went back to eating. **

**"Keep on acting like that, and Soul will get suspicious." Maka whispered in his ear. **

**"I'm sorry, I just am, well, I don't know..."**

**"Just wait a little longer, then I'll ask Soul, okay?"**

**"Okay." Ayo said. He looked at his plate, he had only finished half of it, but he didn't care, he was too stunned to be hungry. **

**"So, Soul, do you mind if I go to Ayo's house and help him study?"**

**"Study for what?"**

**"The Super Written Exam! You can't tell me you forgot?"**

**"I haven't noticed, anyways, shouldn't you get some sleep? We're fighting a witch tomorrow and we'll need all our strength for the fight."**

**"Oh... with all that's going on, I totally forgot about that." Maka said as she turned to Ayo, a disappointed look on her face. **

**"Alright, I guess we can study later." Maka said, Ayo gave a sigh. Maka finished her meal as Ayo ate the rest of his meal. **

**"I'll be right back." Maka said as they walked out the door. Maka and Ayo stared at each other. **

**"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Ayo said with a sigh.**

**"Yeah, we always have time after though." Maka said. **

**"Oh, yeah, your right." Ayo replied in an awkward tone. As Ayo went to walk away, Maka grabbed him by the solider and turned him around.**

**"Yeah Maka?" Ayo asked. Maka hugged him and gave him a short kiss, then looked up at him. Her green gaze comforted him, and all his worries washed away. A warm feeling spread through him, and his heart was racing. **

**"Maka, I, I love you." Ayo said awkwardly, blushing heavily. Maka rested her head on his shoulder. **

**"I love you too, Ayo." Maka said as she continued to hug him, blushing heavily also. Ayo looked up to see Soul opening the door and looking at him. **

**"I wondered what was taking so long, I thought you guys ran off." Soul said smoothly. **

**"Good night Ayo." Maka said, still blushing heavily as she walked inside. **

**"I would like to talk to you Ayo." Soul said as he shut the door. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you or anything."**

**"Oh, well, what do you want to talk about?"**

**"I feel sorry for you, having to deal with what's going on. I just wanted to say, I'm glad it's you. I know you're going to stay, no matter what, and you're not a guy like Spirit."**

**"Um, wow, thanks Soul, that means a lot, coming from you." Ayo said in surprise. Soul opened the door and walked in, then shut it, leaving Ayo alone in the hallway. The warm feeling was fading and he was starting to relax. **_**With me and Maka working together, that witch is going down.**_** Ayo thought as he walked to his dorm.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

...

Ayo woke to his alarm clock buzzing loudly. He rolled over and slammed his hand over the snooze button. He had to wake up extremely early in order to start their trek to the witches domain. He tried to stay awake, but he soon fell back asleep.

"Ayo, wake up you sleepy head!" A hand poked him awake. He turned to see Maka towering over him, the bedroom light blinding him.

"What time is it?"

"Ten minuets past five."

"I'm only ten minuets late."

"It would have been longer if I hadn't come."

"Yeah, I guess your right."

"Come on now, get up, I'll see you outside." Maka said as she walked away. Ayo got out of his bed and put on his shirt and switched into jeans. He grabbed his hat and walked into the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal. He scarfed it down and grabbed his shoes. He opened the door to find Soul and Maka waiting in the hallway.

"What took you so long?" Maka asked.

"It only took me 20 minuets, for me that's a world record." Ayo said as he walked up to them.

"Let's get going, we don't have a lot of time to waste. I want to be back by tonight." Soul said calmly as they walked down the hall. They walked up the stairs through the commons and out the school entrance. The sun was beginning to rise, trying to wake up, but still half asleep. There were no clouds in the sky.

"It looks like it's going to be a nice day today." Ayo said as they walked down the seemingly endless stairs.

...

It was a little before noon when they began to near the witches domain. The sun was now blazing, the thick forest around them active with singing birds and the rustling of leads in the wind. The group moved silently through the forest, not making a sound. They approached a small village that was almost completely covered in shadows.

"Well, that's the village where the shadow witch does her work." Maka said quietly.

"We should wait until night, that's probably when he witch comes out." Ayo whispered back.

"We could ask the villagers when the witch comes." Soul said smoothly as he started to walk towards the clearing. His shadows were changing, they were transforming into... A sword!

"Look out!" Ayo yelled as he dragged Soul out of the clearing, his shadow returned to normal.

"What was that for!" Soul said harshly.

"Did you see your shadow! It was trying to kill you!"

"Really? Well then, we need to figure out a way to get in there without us casting shadows." Soul said more calmly.

"How are we going to do that? It's mid-day and the village is still in the shadows." Maka stated.

"I have an idea." Ayo said, summoning Honoo.

"Honoo, lets go, Soul Resonance!" Ayo yelled. His swords developed their bright blue flames, the light cast away the shadows.

"Great idea, the only problem is that we will draw a lot of attention." Maka said as they walked into the clearing. The clearing had grass that went to Ayo's knees, and by the time they reached the village, Ayo and Maka's legs were soaked.

"Who would want to live here?" Ayo said, adjusting his jeans, which were pulled tight on his leg.

"Apparently, nobody, I can't sense a single soul in this village, except one..."

"Is it the witch?"

"I can't tell, she might have soul protect on."

"Let's go investigate."

"Okay, but we need to be careful." Maka said. The group wove around the abandoned houses. The stench of rotten food filled the air. Maka turned to a large barn with large double doors that were closed.

"The soul is in here." Maka said with a determined tone. Maka and Ayo kicked down each door. The light from Ayo's swords drowned the shadows in the barn, revealing a tall girl wearing a black sweatshirt with black jeans. She turned and faced towards the group.

"Soul protect, off." She said, barely a whisper. Maka flinched.

"What's wrong?"

"Her soul, it's huge!" Maka said with an astonished look in her face. Ayo turned towards the witch, she was just standing there. _I wish I could see souls._ Ayo thought.

"We're from the DWMA, and it's time to put you to an end, sorry." Ayo said with a determined tone.

"Oh, well that's too bad, looks like things aren't going to go the way you planned. Anyways, my name is Kage, I believe we skipped introductions."

"What makes you think you deserve an introduction?"

"Well, everybody deserves an introduction."

"Not you, and you won't be living for much longer either." Ayo said, his swords producing an even stronger light.

"Oh really? Is that so? Shadow, shadow, ghostly, darkness." She said quietly. Kage's shadows grew into long spears, then was hurled at Ayo. He crossed his swords and created a large ball of fire. The light illuminated the whole barn, dissolving the shadows.

"You'll need a stronger attack to get me!"

"What about your friend?" Kage replied. Ayo turned, but Maka wasn't there, Soul was still lying on the ground in weapon form. He looked back at the witch and she was holding Maka, tied up by shadows.

"Maka!" Ayo yelled, the flames from his swords jetting out a few feet. But before Ayo could even think, Kage disappeared along with Maka.

"What!? Where did she go?" Ayo asked, anger was pulsing from him. He spun his duel swords, creating a fire vortex that exploded the barn. Ayo looked around the broken flaming debris, Maka was nowhere in sight.

"Noooooooooo!" Ayo yelled, slamming his fists on a standing wall. _That stupid witch captured Maka!_ Ayo thought.

"Hey, we need to head back and tell Death to send a rescue team." Soul said.

"No! Never! I'm not leaving until I find Maka!" Ayo said loudly in a surprised tone.

"Look, you need to-"

"No! We need to find her now!" Ayo said, now in a distressed tone.

"Well, I guess there's no convincing you now. Where are we going to start?" Soul replied.

"Well... I... where... I don't know!"

"Stop freaking out, we can start there." Soul said as he pointed to a large building in the distance.

"Okay, let's go, what are we waiting for!" Ayo yelled loudly as he ran off into the woods. Soul sighed and ran off towards Ayo.

...

Ayo stopped in front of the large building, it had a pair of steel doors at the entrance and windows on top on the second floor. There were people inside, hidden by the shadows. He could just make out the faint outline of someone familiar. _KAGE!_ Ayo thought to himself as he stared at the witch.

"Honoo, Strength Skill!" Ayo yelled, his sword's flames turned red. Ayo charged at the door, he cut the hinges on both sides clean through. Then he created a large blast of fire as he kicked the door with both feet, sending it flying into the darkness. Workers scrambled out of the way, fleeing from red light produced by his swords.

"You're a persistent one, aren't you?" Kage said as she walked out of the shadows. "You came back quicker than I expected."

"What did you think would happen when you stole my girlfriend!" Ayo said, his sword's flames growing stronger.

"Oh, so you do care for her, that wasn't a surprise. Teens are sooooo easy to predict."

"What do you want from me? Why did you take Maka?"

"Because I felt like it, how about that?"

"When are you going to give her back?!"

"Never, as long as I'm still alive."

"Then have it your way! Honoo, God's Skill!" Ayo said, but when Ayo looked down, Honoo was still producing red flames.

"What the heck? What's the problem?" Ayo said with impatience.

"It wouldn't work!" A voice from his swords spoke.

"Why not!"

"I don't know!" Honoo yelled back. Ayo turned to see Soul run inside, then look at Ayo.

"Soul, my skills aren't working right!" Ayo said. "I don't think I'm powerful enough, I don't know how I did it last time!" Ayo said, starting to get angry. Soul stood in place, no expression on his face. It looked like he was zoning out.

"Ouch!" Ayo yelled. He turned to see a cut on his side.

"Oops, missed." Kage said.

"Honoo, Scream Resonance!" Ayo yelled. Two mouths surfaced from each sword, then let out an ear-splitting scream. The blood on the ground turned black, and Ayo's wound healed.

"What? How can you have black blood but still have a purifying sword?!" Kage said in a confused tone. Ayo ignored her and charged. Kage's shadows were fading as Ayo got closer. She disappeared when he swung. Ayo tuned to see Kage standing in the other corner.

"You're too slow, you'll never catch me!" Kage said teasingly.

"Honoo, Sonic Skill!" Ayo yelled, his body and swords began to glow a bright blue. In less than a second, Ayo was right in front of Kage. When she teleported to the other side of the room, Ayo was there a split second after. He slashed at Kage, creating a shower of blood.

"How dare you! You little prick!" Kage said as he held her chest, lying on the floor. "You'll never kill me! I'll just fade into the shadows and come back when I heal again!"

"Ayo, listen up." Soul said. Ayo turned to see Soul, he was walking towards him. "We're going to resonate souls using sound." He said calmly.

"What? How can you do that?"

"I'll play the piano with my soul, we can resonate souls as a team that way." Soul explained.

"Okay." Ayo said in an unsure tone. Soul sat down and turned on the same expression he had when he first walked in. A blank face, as if he was in deep thought. Then Ayo heard it, a piano, playing softly in his soul. He could HEAR all his emotions, confidence and bravery flowed through him.

"Honoo, God's Skill!" He yelled. His swords merged into a large silver sword. Blue, green, and red flames were jetting out the tip of the sword. "I'm going to get rid of this witch once and for all!" Ayo thought. He aimed his sword at Kage, who was still lying on the ground. Suddenly, his flames stopped. Small, pitch black balls were floating out of the ground and into his sword. _My swords aren't absorbing light, like last time, it's absorbing the shadows!_ Ayo thought. The shadows around him were being absorbed like liquid into the sword, revealing pure white light behind. Pretty soon, all the shadows were gone and the room was surrounded in the blinding pure white light. A large beam of shadows was launched at Kage, going clean through her.

"Ha, you idiot, you can't attack a shadow witch with shadows!" Kage said. Then everything turned pitch black. The shadow beam instantly turned into pure light, dissolving everything in its path, and in a split second, everything was its normal color. Ayo looked to see a large hole in the building that went all the way outside and into the hill on the other side.

"That was one hell of a shot." Soul said, examining the large hole.

"Thanks, but we should find Maka, we still don't know where she is!" Ayo ran down the hallway before Soul could even reply. Ayo ran down the hallway, searching every room with his swords, which were glowing a bright blue. He ran into a large room where there was about a dozen cells.

"Maka!" Ayo said as he ran towards her cell.

"Ayo? Is this a trick?" Ayo took his swords and sliced through the bars, creating a large hole.

"Would Kage let you go free?" Ayo said as he hugged Maka. "Maka, I missed you so much, I'm so sorry."

"Ayo, it really is you this time?"

"This time? What do you mean?"

"I don't know, I've been hallucinating for a while."

"Yes, I'm real, now lets get out of here."

"What about Kage?"

"I obliterated her."

"Really?"

"Yes, with the help of Soul." Ayo led Maka out of the cell and back to the entrance.

"Wow, did you do that?" Maka said, pointing to the large hole in the middle of the building.

"Yes."

"Where is her soul, did Honoo eat it?" Ayo stared at Maka, then at Soul.

"No, I didn't, there was no soul left."

"That means she didn't die."

"What! How in the world did she survive a blast like that?"

"I don't know, but right now, we don't know for certain if she is dead." Maka said in a sad tone. Ayo turned and hugged Maka.

"NONE of this is your fault." Ayo said.

"If I was paying attention, maybe things would have been different..."

"Maka, I don't blame you for anything, and neither does Soul." Ayo said, pointing to Soul. "I also know you have a lot on your mind, please, just stop worrying."

"Okay." Maka said with a more relaxed tone. Ayo let go and grabbed her hand. Ayo, Soul, and Maka walked out of the entrance and into the forest.

...

The group walked down the hallway and to their rooms. Everyone was tired after the trek.

"Wow, I am out of shape." Ayo said.

"You'll get used to it." Soul replied smoothly.

"Hey Soul, is it okay if I talk to Maka... Alone." Ayo asked, slightly blushing when Soul looked at him.

"It's not like that, I just want to talk."

"I don't care, you can talk." Soul said as he walked down the hallway. Maka and Ayo watched as Soul walked around the corner and disappeared. Suddenly, Ayo hugged Maka.

"I was so worried about you, are you sure your okay? Did she do anything to you? Should we see Stein? Maybe the nurse? Did she feed you something that gave you those visions? Did she feed you anything? Did she-"

"Ayo, I'm fine, okay."

"Are you sure, double sure, positive?"

"Yes, I'm okay, she didn't have time to do anything before you came." Ayo just stared at Maka.

"I swear, if I ever see Kage again, I will destroy that, that..."

"Ayo." Maka said, her emerald green eyes freezing his worries.

"Yes, what do you need?"

"I'm sorry I worried you so much, It's my fault."

"Don't blame yourself, please, I can't stand it when you put yourself down. You're an amazing person, and I'll do whatever it takes to bring that witch down for you."

"Ayo... I... Thank you." Maka said. A small smile grew on her face, blushing slightly. Ayo smiled too, blushing heavily. Ayo could feel Maka's heartbeat. It was beating fast, like his.

"Sooooo, want to ask Soul if I can study at your place." Maka asked.

"You want to STUDY right now?"

"No, not actually study." Maka said, slightly giggling.

"Oh... you mean that." Ayo stated, desperately trying to hide his blushing, avoiding eye contact.

"But wait, wouldn't Soul think the same thing that I thought?" Ayo asked.

"Oh, well, it's worth a try. He'll probably think that we are crazy at first." Maka said as Ayo let go and started to walk down the hallway. Maka turned and knocked on their door. Soul opened the door, looked at Maka, then at Ayo, then back to Maka.

"Is he going home?"

"Yes, but would it be alright if I helped Ayo study. We never got the chance last night, and the exam is coming soon."

"You're crazy if you want to study, but I don't care, go right on ahead. It's your sleep, not mine." Soul said as Maka walked in and grabbed her notes.

"Thanks Soul, see you tomorrow." Maka said as she and Ayo walked away. Ayo heard the door shut, and the two walked in silence.

"So, why did you bring notes?" Ayo asked.

"Because, I'm going to your house 'to study for the exam.'"

"Oh, I get it, I'm not a very good liar, am I?"

"Are you saying I'm a good liar?" Maka said teasingly, punching Ayo in the arm. Ayo opened his door and let Maka in. They walked inside and sat on the couch.

"So, what subject do you want to study first, science, or math?" Maka said teasingly.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

...

Ayo woke up to the sun rising, attempting to shake off its sleep, but currently having no luck. Pure sunshine filtered into the room, a perfect day. He turned to see Maka, still asleep, next to him. Ayo stared at Maka for a while, then got out of bed. _I'm sooooo tired._ He thought to himself. _But maybe pancakes will do the trick._ He walked into the kitchen and started to gather the ingredients and utensils he would need.

Maka walked in as he was in the middle of cooking.

"Hello, good morning." Ayo said with a smile on his face. "I'm making pancakes."

"Without a shirt?" Maka asked, returning the smile. Ayo looked down, seeing that his toned body was showing.

"Sorry, I was really tired, I must've forgot." He replied, blushing heavily.

"That's okay, I don't mind." She said as she hugged him from behind. "You need any help?"

"Nope, actually, you can grab the butter if you want." Ayo said while flipping a pancake.

"Okay." Maka said as she poked her head in the fridge. Ayo heard a knock on the door and watched as Soul walked in.

"Hey Soul." Ayo replied while flipping another pancake.

"Hi Soul." Maka said as she handed a stick of butter to Ayo.

"You came to eat?" Ayo said. "Don't worry, there's enough for all of us."

"Sure, why not." Soul replied smoothly. Suddenly, Ayo and Maka stopped dead in their tracks. They gave each other a terrified glance, then looked back at Soul.

"Don't worry about it, but next time, think of a better excuse." Soul said with a smirk on his face. "Put a shirt on too, Ayo." Ayo was blushing heavily as he ran to his room. Maka stood in disbelief for a while, then continued on. Ayo came back a little while later, this time with a shirt on.

"Sorry Soul." Ayo said, still blushing heavily. He stuck the cooked pancakes on a plate and set them down on the table, with syrup and butter. The three ate in silence, mostly because everyone was hungry! But Ayo still had worries on his mind. _When are we going to tell everyone the news? What will they think of us?_ Ayo thought to himself. Whenever it was, it had to be soon, or everyone would figure it out themselves.

...

"There will be no assignment today, tomorrow is the exam and you all need to study. This grade counts as 25 percent of your final grade, so I suggest you study." Stein said to the class. The bell rang shortly after, and a large mob of moaning kids were filing out of the classroom.

"Ayo, come here for a second." Stein said to him from the stage. Ayo walked up the stairs to find Stein and Maka waiting. The three watched as the last of the kids filed out of the classroom.

"So, Ayo, I wanted you to listen to this too." Stein said.

"What is it?" Ayo gulped, remembering the last time Stein called him.

"I just wanted to say that if you have any questions, now is the time to ask them." Stein said.

"About what?"

"Well, a lot of things happen during a pregnancy, and I'm sure you aren't familiar with them."

"Things?"

"Yes, stuff like... well... personal stuff... whatever. My point is, if you have any questions, I'm here, okay?"

"Okay." Ayo and Maka chorused. _What does he mean by that?_ Ayo thought to himself. They walked out of the classroom and into the hallway.

"So... we're having a party my place tonight. Everyone's coming, so you should come too."

"Okay, I really have nothing else to do." Ayo said with a smile. He watched as Maka walked away towards her locker. His thoughts were scattered when someone tapped on his shoulder. Ayo turned to see Kid.

"Hey, how's it going."

"Alright, I guess, I'm not a doctor."

"No, not that, I mean you. I heard Maka got kidnapped, but you rescued her. Is their something bothering you?"

"No, I'm fine, honestly. Are you coming to the party?"

"Yep, and I'm guessing you are too, see you there." Kid said as he walked off. _I wonder what's got him worrying about me._ Ayo thought as he headed for his locker. He only needed to grab his backpack, since there was no homework. He headed down to his dorm and dropped off his backpack, then walked to Maka's dorm. Ayo wanted to help Maka cook, it was one of the only times where he could forget his worries and have fun. He turned and knocked on her door, only for Soul to open it.

"Hey, is Maka here?"

"Nope, she went to the store."

"Oh, I'll come back later then, she's letting me help cook for the party." Ayo said with a disappointed tone.

"She should be back soon, you can stay here for a while." Soul offered.

"That's okay, I'm fine." Ayo said. He turned and walked to his dorm. _We didn't even kill Kage, even with my most powerful move, I don't understand how to defeat her. Well, I'm going to have a while to think about this. That was Maka's last mission, and she wasn't going to get another one anytime soon._ Ayo thought. _I forgot that Lord Death doesn't know about Maka! I NEED to tell him about Maka. I can't let him put her on another mission, it's too dangerous, I almost lost her last time._ Ayo walked past his door and up the stairs. He turned and walked down the hallway that led to the Death Room. He walked in to find Death talking to Sid drinking tea.

"Hey kiddo, whatcha need?" Death asked in his kid voice.

"I need to talk to you... in private."

"Okay, Sid, do you mind?"

"Sure, I'll see you tomorrow." Sid replied. His deep, authority like voice bellowing around the room. Ayo watched as Sid walked of of sight.

"So, you wanted to talk?"

"Yea, would it be alright if Maka didn't receive any more missions?" Ayo said quietly, hoping he wouldn't ask any questions.

"And why's that?" Death said, confusion in his tone.

"Well, you see... Maka is... um... pregnant." He said cautiously.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Stein confirmed it."

"Oh, how long?"

"For about a week or so. It just that... what happened last time... I can't let that happen again."

"I see, you're worried about Maka getting hurt, that would be a bad idea. Sure, I won't assign any more missions for Maka." Death decided.

"Thanks Death." Ayo said, starting to walk away.

"I have a question for you Ayo." Death said. Ayo turned towards Death.

"What's that?"

"Do you know who the father is? She probably didn't tell you. If you don't know that's okay."

"Oh... well... um... it's me..."

"Really? I never thought that." Death said, thinking.

"Can I ask you a question, Death?" Ayo said, his voice shaky.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Would you be able to give advice? We just thought that because you raised Kid, you would be able to help us." Ayo said, blushing slightly.

"Sure, If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, okay kiddo?"

"Okay, thanks."

"Your welcome, Ayo." Death said as Ayo walked out. He felt much more relaxed now that those problems was out of the way. One question still rattled Ayo's thoughts. _When are we going to tell the gang?_ He thought. He walked down the stairs the led to the dorms, then turned. _Surely Maka would be home by now? _He turned and knocked on her door. Maka opened the door, a smile on her face.

"What brings you here?" She asked, wearing her apron.

"I was wondering if I could help cook for the party."

"Sure." Maka said as Ayo walked in. Blackstar and Tsubaki were already there, sitting on the couch with Soul talking. They walked to the kitchen and Ayo began to wash his hands.

"I talked to Lord Death." Ayo began.

"About what?"

"Not giving you any more missions."

"What! Why?" Maka asked curiously.

"We were worried about you getting hurt. I'm sorry, I should have asked you first, I-"

"It's okay, the only problem is the others noticing." Maka said.

"Oh, right, anyways, he also said he would be able to his advice."

"You told him?"

"Yes."

"Oh... well, I think it's okay that he knows."

"Well, I've been wondering..."

"About what?"

"We could tell the gang here?"

"No, maybe later, okay, but not now."

"Oh, okay, whatever you say." Ayo finished drying off his hands. _I just hope we tell them before they notice themselves_. Ayo thought.

"I am almost done, but I'll need your help to pass stuff out. Here, you can grab the cornbread from the fridge." Maka said as she opened the oven to check on the meal. Ayo was grabbing the glass plate when Kid, Liz, and Patty walked in.

"Hey guys." They chorused a greeting to the trio.

"Hello, how's it cooking?" Kid asked Ayo.

"She's the chef." Ayo said, pointing to Maka.

"It's going good, the chicken will be done in a few minuets." Maka said with a smile.

"There's a seat over here." Soul said around the corner. Kid and his gang went to sit down as Maka stacked plates of food on Ayo's arms.

"Take this to the table." Maka ordered. He walked around the corner and set the plates of food on the table, then Maka followed him, carrying the rest. The gang sat down at the table and the duo passed out plates.

"This jobs easier with you around." Maka said with a smile as they finished passing out items.

"Thanks." Ayo replied, blushing slightly. The rest of the group sat down and started to dish out the steaming food on the table. By the time most people had put food on their plates, Blackstar was completely done with his meal, and was reaching for more.

"I never thought a person could eat that fast." Ayo whispered to Maka. She smiled.

"That's the reason half the food disappears." Maka said. Ayo smiled and went back to eating. He turned to see Maka holding her stomach, a look of pain on her face. Ayo, Soul, and Kid exchanged a worried glance, then he led Maka out of the dining room and into the bedroom.

"What's wrong, are you okay?" Ayo asked in a worried tone.

"No, I'm fine, it's just a cramp, that's all." Maka said through gritted teeth. Ayo turned to see Kid walking in.

"Is she alright?" Kid asked.

"She's okay, I guess, it's just a cramp." Ayo said in an unsure and awkward tone.

"Do you think it could be because of... you know?" Kid suggested.

"What! Since when did Kid know?" Maka asked.

"He found out the day we found out, but it's alright, he won't tell anybody." Ayo said in a knowing tone.

"If you tell anybody..." Maka said. She grabbed a book and hit Kid on the head, not hard, but to get the point across.

"You don't have to worry." Kid said in a reassuring tone.

"I'm fine guys, you should go to the table before anybody gets suspicious." Maka said. Kid walked out of the room, but Ayo stayed.

"Didn't you hear me?" Maka said. Ayo hopped on the bed and hugged Maka.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything, anything I did wrong, the fact that you're hurting from my mistake."

"But it's not you're mistake, Ayo, I was part of this too."

"But it doesn't feel that way, I don't feel as if I'm giving enough." Ayo said, his voice saddened.

"Ayo, you have been doing a lot for me, more than I ever expected. I'm glad you are here for me." Maka said, her voice growing more relaxed as the cramping went away.

"Thank you." Ayo said. "If you ever need me, for anything, I'll come here, okay? Promise me that?" Ayo asked.

"Yes, I do, I promise." Maka said, slightly blushing.

"Here, let me help you up." Ayo said, holding out his hand. Maka blushed as she let Ayo pull her up.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, I'm a lot better now. Thank you." Maka said with a smile. Maka hugged Ayo, creating an awkward silence.

"Thank you." Maka said, blushing slightly.

"Aaayooo's got the hots toodddaaayyy!" Patty sang, giggling after. Ayo and Maka turned to see all the girls watching through the doorway. As soon as they made eye contact, they all giggled. Ayo was blushing heavily, desperately trying to hide them, Maka was doing the same.

"Should we leave the two lovebirds alone or embarrass them more?" Liz said, laughing.

"We should take a picture and post it around the school!" Blair said as she hopped on the bed behind them, still in cat form. Ayo turned around and looked at Blair with an astonished look.

"It can talk?" Ayo said, a surprised look on his face.

"That's Blair." Maka said, still blushing heavily under the stare of the girls. "She's a human that can turn into a cat."

"What? Really?" Ayo said, still puzzled. The rest of the girls had ran away by now. Blair turned into her human form, her outfit showing as much skin as possible. Maka put her hand over Ayo's eyes.

"Tada!" Blair said. "Don't worry, I know your little secret, but your safe with me." She said in a seductive tone. "I wish I had a guy who would take care of me as much as you take care of Maka." Blair finished. Ayo was blushing heavily.

"You are jealous?"

"Yes, every guy I've met has never taken care of me. I wonder why sometimes."

"Maybe you should change your choice of guys." Maka said through gritted teeth. Ayo could tell she meant more than what she said aloud.

"Thanks Blair, but we could use a little privacy right now." Ayo said, changing the subject.

"Okay." She said as she walked off, shutting the door behind her.

"You really don't like her, do you?" Ayo asked.

"No, it would take a long time to explain. She's a, a-"

"I know, it's not that hard to tell." Ayo said, smiling at Maka. "You're much cuter than her." He said, blushing again. Maka began to blush again also.

"The foods probably getting cold, we should eat." Maka suggested.

"That's a shame, letting such good food go to waste." Ayo said as he let go and grabbed Maka's hand. They walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. They were both being stared at by everyone at the table when they sat down.

"Ayo, I didn't know you were romantic." Tsubaki said.

"Yeah, what were you guys doing in there? Kissing?" Patty said. Ayo and Maka began to blush again.

"I wonder what would have happened if we didn't say anything and continued to watch." Liz said teasingly.

"I could see them kissing." Patty said with a smile, giggling after. "Imagine how embarrassed they'd be!"

"Like Romeo and Juliet... without the dying part."

"Okay girls, you can stop teasing them now." Kid said.

"Yeah, it could be bad for your health." Soul joked.

"What's this, are you stealing all the attention now?" Blackstar joked in also.

...

Ayo was washing the pile of dishes as Maka was putting them in.

"Are you sure you want to do the dishes?" Maka asked.

"Yes, you need to get some rest, I can handle this."Ayo said, slightly blushing.

"You have had less sleep than me." Maka said.

"You need sleep MORE than I do."

"You need some rest too, we have the exam tomorrow."

"You can sleep, okay? You always do the dishes when there's a party, you deserve a break." Ayo replied. Maka smiled, then kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks." She said as she walked away. Ayo was glad that nobody else saw, but for some reason, he wanted that to happen. "_I'm tired of this being a secret, not the pregnancy part, but the fact that were together. It would make it seem less awkward when they figure it out._" Ayo thought. After he finished the dishes, he grabbed his hat and headed for the door.

"Hey Ayo?" Maka said as she walked up to him.

"Yes, what do you need?" Ayo asked. Maka hesitated for a moment, then continued on.

"Do you think I should ask Soul... if I could... move in with you?" Maka said, blushing heavily. Ayo was frozen in place, not expecting the question.

"You want to... what?"

"Move in with you, is that okay?"

"What about Soul? Wouldn't he be lonely?"

"Aren't you lonely?" Maka asked. Ayo hugged her.

"I'll never be lonely as long as I know you like me." Ayo said. Maka began to blush.

"But if I could, would you say yes?"

"I would want to talk to Soul first."

"But would you?"

"Of course!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really, it would be amazing." Ayo said, now blushing too.

"Well, I'll ask him tonight, okay?"

"What! Tonight?! Why so soon?"

"Why not?"

"I don't know, it seems... awkward." Ayo said. He was blushing hard now.

"It's okay, I'm sure Soul won't mind."

"I'm just worried that he's secretly jealous."

"Oh, well, I'll have a talk with him, okay?"

"Okay." He said with a sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just worried, that's all." Maka stared at him affectionately, then gave him a short kiss.

"Don't worry, okay?" She said. Her smile evaporated all of his worries. _How does she do that?_ Ayo thought. Maka waved as she walked away, leaving Ayo stunned.

...

Ayo sat in his bed, looking at the ceiling. He was too worried to go to sleep. _What will Soul think?_ Ayo thought to himself. Ayo's thoughts were scattered when he heard a knock on the door. He got out of bed and walked to the door. He opened it to find Maka, still in pajamas, a large smile swept across her face.

"HE SAID YES!" Maka said excitedly.

"What?!"

"He said YES!"

"Whoa, hold on a second!" Ayo said, his mind was whirling. _He said yes?_ Ayo thought.

"I can't believe it!" Ayo said. "Did he really say yes?"

"Of course!"

"I... I... I can't believe it!"

"Neither can I! I couldn't go to sleep!"

"What do you mean by moving in?"

"Everything."

"Your moving EVERYTHING?"

"Yes!" Maka said with a smile. Ayo's vision was blurred. _Is she really MOVING IN?_ He thought. He sat down on the couch, his mind whirling.

"Are you okay?" Maka said, a worried look on her face.

"Yeah, it's just that... I never thought it would happen!"

"I know, right!"

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes! Are you?"

"Well, yes, but... I want to talk to Soul first..."

"Okay." Maka said with a disappointed tone.

"Don't worry, I just want to make sure for myself that Soul is okay with this." Ayo said. Maka looked at him, her smile starting to show.

"You do what you think is best." She said. Ayo smiled.

"Thank you Maka, you don't know how much this means to me." Ayo said, hugging Maka. She smiled, staring at him, his worries evaporating again. They just gazed at each other for what seemed ages.

"Okay, well, I've got to go." Maka said. "I had to sneak out of my own dorm!"

"Okay, I'll talk to him tomorrow." Ayo said. Maka waved a goodbye and walked to her dorm.

...

Ayo woke to find the moon beaming down into his dorm through the window. _It's going to be a nice day._ Ayo thought to himself as he stared into the cloudless starry sky. He dragged himself out of his bed and put on his shirt, then grabbed his hat and walked out the door. Ayo didn't feel like eating, his worries consuming him. He headed straight for Maka's dorm, he wanted to talk to Soul. He turned and knocked on their door. Soul opened the door a few seconds later.

"Well, you get here earlier every day." Soul said in a tired sarcastic voice.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to talk, I couldn't sleep."

"Come in." Ayo walked in and Soul led him to the couch.

"So, what did you come to talk about?"

"Well, Maka came and told me you said that she could move in." Ayo said, blushing slightly.

"So?"

"I wanted to talk to you. I don't want to leave you to be by yourself, or hurt. I'm just worried about you, that's all." Ayo said, his tone finally relaxing.

"I'm okay. I'm not Maka's parent, she can make her own decisions." Soul said smoothly.

"But your her weapon partner! I don't want to ruin her relationship with you. You guys are a team, and I don't want to split you guys up."

"I see, but don't worry, we won't be the only weapon partners that will live in separate places."

"Okay." Ayo said blankly.

"Maka really likes you, and if she wants to stay at your place, that's fine with me. Just remember that we are team because we work efficiently with each other. We aren't going to split up because she likes someone else, okay?" Soul replied in a reassuring voice.

"Thanks Soul, you've helped me a lot."

"No problem, I know you'll respect her for who she is."

"Okay, thanks, see you later Soul." Ayo said as he walked out and shut the door. _Even though he's a kid, he sounds like a father._ Ayo thought. Ayo walked to his dorm and slumped back into bed. He was too tired to take off his shirt, and he fell back asleep, his worries washed away.

...

Ayo woke to sunlight beaming down into his room. He already had all his clothes on, so he walked into the kitchen to pour himself a bowl of cereal. He gulped it down and headed for the door. Ayo opened it and got hit in the face.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Maka yelled. "I was going to knock on the door!"

"It's okay, I'm fine." Ayo said, rubbing his nose. "What do you need?"

"I was going to tell you something."

"Was?"

"Well, yes, now, I mean... Whatever. I wanted to tell you that I heard what you said last night."

"You did?" Ayo said in surprise, blushing slightly. Maka ran up to him and hugged him.

"I thought you didn't want me to move in, but I was wrong. You only cared about me and Soul's partnership, not yourself. I'm sorry." Maka blurted out.

"I'm sorry I made you worry instead of telling you."

"No, I'm sorry."

"Noooo, I am." Ayo said teasingly. Maka looked up and smiled. "Guess what?" Ayo added.

"What?"

"Now that I have talked to Soul, you -"

"I can move in!"

"Wow, you just read my mind." Ayo said in a sarcastic voice. "Can you teach me so I can read your thoughts during the test?" Maka hit him playfully in the arm.

"No, you have to take it on your own!"

"Oh all right, but I don't expect me to get a perfect grade."

"Why not?"

"Didn't you say this is a big exam? Only a book worm like you could get a perfect grade."

"I did, last year."

"Really? I was being sarcastic." Maka hit him in the arm again, this time hard.

"Ouch."

"You deserved it." She said with a smile.

...

Ayo walked into the classroom to find Blackstar pinned to the wall with a nail in his shirt, blood oozing from his head.

"Do you see this kids? This is what happens to people who try to get the answer sheets! Didn't you learn last year?" Sid said. Blackstar said nothing, barely conscious. Tsubaki had a worried expression on her face.

"On my mark, you will have one hour to complete this test. There will be NO cheating, NO peeking, and NO food during this test. When you are done, you may read a book, but nothing else, understand?" Sid grabbed his stopwatch and passed out the test. The air was crackling with competitiveness, worry, and anxiety.

"GO!" Sid yelled. Ayo looked at his test, it was like a book. Most of it was multiple choice, and he did well on tests that had them. "This shouldn't be too hard." Ayo thought to himself.

...

About fifty minuets passed when Ayo finished. He didn't have a book, so he just sat and looked around the classroom. Patty had created a quite large 3-D giraffe, completely colored, and was playing with it. He looked at Kid's paper to see that he hadn't even finished his name, still writing the K. He turned to look at Soul, he was sweating, still only halfway through it. Tsubaki was still writing, but with a calm expression on her face. She occasionally glanced at Blackstar, a worried look on her face. Blackstar had written his signature on the blackboard with his blood. Ayo looked down to see Maka, still writing on her test. _She must be taking her time._ Ayo thought, remembering that she got a perfect score on her exam last year.

"Times up! Pencils down!" Sid yelled with authority. Everybody passed down their tests, some people had a worried look on their face, as if they didn't want to turn it in. After Sid collected the tests, the class was excused, and people began to file out of the classroom. Ayo met Maka a her locker. She had a smile on her face.

"How can you be happy after taking a test?"

"I have a good feeling that I aced the test."

"Oh, so... Want to help me pack?"

"We live close already, why don't you just move the stuff by hand?" Ayo suggested.

"Do you really want to try to move my bookcase with the books on it?" Maka asked teasingly.

"We could get a group of people."

"Like who?"

"Blackstar, Kid, oh, wait, they probably shouldn't know about you moving in, huh?"

"Well, everyone's going to see me sleeping at your place, so it won't stay a secret for long."

"I guess your right both times." Ayo said. "Yes, I'll help pack."

"Okay, thanks, follow me."

"We're doing it right now?"

"Sure, why not? It's the perfect time. We got out of school early and we have no homework."

"Okay." Ayo agreed as he followed Maka to her dorm. Maka turned and knocked on the door, and Soul opened it, a confused look on his face.

"What's up?"

"We're here to pick up my stuff." Maka said. Ayo was blushing, embarrassed because he thought the same thing.

"Right now?"

"Sure, why not?" Soul turned and looked at Ayo. He shrugged his shoulders, also giving a confused look. Soul turned back to Maka.

"Sure, I guess so." Soul replied smoothly as he let them in. There was a pile of boxes in the corner of the living room, some of them flattened, some of them filled.

"Wow, couldn't wait, huh." Ayo said.

"Nope, I was too excited."

"I didn't think you would actually do this."

"Why not?"

"It just seems so... weird. I've never had a girl MOVE IN with me before." Ayo stated, blushing heavily.

"Well, I really am." Maka said, now blushing too.

"Is it always like this at your place?" Soul asked.

"Like what?" Ayo said, turning his attention from a cardboard box to him.

"You guys blush all the time when you talk."

"What! No I don't." Ayo said, accidentally blushing more. Ayo hid his blushing, unflattering a cardboard box.

...

By the time Maka and Ayo were done packing most of the items, it was dark.

"I think we should finish tomorrow, what do you think?" Ayo asked, popping his back.

"Sure, it's the weekend and there is no missions currently." Maka stated, closing a box.

"You should stay here one more night." Ayo stated.

"Why? Is their something wrong?"

"No, I think that you need to stay one more night with Soul and say your goodbyes. It doesn't feel right to just leave."

"Oh, I see what you mean, okay." Maka said, still smiling.

"Would that be okay?"

"Sure, that's alright, I see what you mean." Maka said. "We'll have all the time in the world tomorrow night."

"Do you mean that in a sick-minded way?"

"Um..."

"Woooooowww."

"What?"

"I never thought you could be THAT sick minded."

"Hey, I'm not sick minded!" Maka said, punching Ayo playfully in the arm.

"Okay, see you tomorrow." Ayo said.

"Goodbye." Maka said as she hugged him.

"Goodbye." Ayo replied, they stood hugging for a few moments, then Ayo waved a goodbye and walked out the door. _I can't believe I have a girl moving in, and it's MAKA._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

...

Ayo woke up to somebody poking him. He turned around to find Maka nudging him awake. Poor sunlight filtered in through the clouds and in his room, creating a grayish light. Maka flipped on the light switch, blinding him for a second.

"Come on sleepy head, time to wake up!" Maka said excitedly.

"I hope it's not like this every morning." Ayo said teasingly, playfully punching Maka in the arm.

"I want to get a head start. We haven't even began to move the stuff over, let alone rearrange it."

"What about the stuff we haven't packed yet?" Ayo asked tiredly. "Wasn't there more stuff?"

"Well, I couldn't sleep last night, so I packed it all."

"You finished packing it, ALL of it?"

"Yep!"

"Aren't you tired?"

"No, who has time to be tired? It's like moving to a new house!" Maka said excitedly.

"Okay, I'll be up in a second, okay?" Ayo said, trying to shake off his sleep.

"Okay, see you at Soul's place." Maka said, running out the door. _Wow._ Ayo thought. He crawled out of bed and put on his shirt. He walked into the living room and to the door. He put on his hat and walked out the door to find Kid walking by.

"Hey, how's Maka been?"

"Fine." Ayo replied, walking down the hallway alongside Kid.

"I just saw Maka come out of your dorm, isn't it really early?"

"I know right."

"She seemed pretty excited."

"Yeah, she's psyched about moving, that's for sure."

"Moving?" Kid asked. Ayo stopped mid-step, realizing what he had said.

"Oh, well, Maka is moving..."

"Where?"

"Um... to my place." Ayo said, blushing hard.

"She's moving IN WITH YOU?" Kid asked.

"Yeah." Ayo said in an awkward tone.

"What about Soul?"

"I don't know, I'm worry about him too sometimes." Ayo said, his tone saddened.

"Is Soul still going to her partner?"

"Yes! I would never let her move in if it ruined that!"

"Oh, well, is it going to be a secret?"

"Probably not, it won't take long for people to figure it out." Ayo said in a worried tone.

"I'll act surprised if I hear it, okay?" Kid offered.

"Okay, thanks." Ayo said as he watched him walk away. Ayo turned and knocked on Maka's door. She opened it, a large pile of boxes showing behind her.

"You ready to be my carrying slave for the day?" Maka asked teasingly.

"Sure."

"Okay, there's boxes over, well, you know where it is." Maka said as she let Ayo in. He grabbed a box and headed for his dorm. "What's in this box, rocks?" Ayo thought as he carried the heavy box to his dorm. He left his door open as he made multiple trips.

...

It was past noon when they finally finished. Ayo was resting on the couch while Maka was stretching.

"Now we have to unload it all." Maka said, still stretching.

"I have no idea how you're not tired." Ayo said, standing up. He walked over to Maka and hugged her.

"I can't believe this is actually happening!" Ayo added. Maka looked up at Ayo.

"Well, you better start believing." She said with a smile. Her gaze scattering his worries.

"Wow, what's going on here?" Blackstar asked, standing at the doorway. Tsubaki was standing next to him, giggling quietly.

"Oh, um..." Ayo stalled, blushing when he realized he was still hugging Maka.

"What's all the boxes for?" Blackstar asked.

"Oh... well... Maka is um... moving in..."

"What?" Blackstar and Tsubaki chorused. They were both blushing heavily now. Patty and Liz also peered around the doorway, Kid soon following.

"Wow Maka, 2 weeks and you're moving into Ayo's dorm, you work fast." Liz teased.

"Did you see the lovebirds kiss yet?" Patty asked Tsubaki.

"No." Tsubaki said calmly.

"Wait a second, you're actually moving in?!" Blackstar asked, confused.

"Yes." Maka said, blushing too.

"I'm going to tell everyone that I see about this!" Liz stated.

"Me too! By tomorrow, everybody will know!" Patty exclaimed.

"Okay girls, It's time to go." Kid called to his weapons. They followed Kid away from the door, but Blackstar and Tsubaki still stayed.

"Can you give us some privacy please?" Ayo asked.

"But I want to see you guys kiss." Tsubaki said quietly, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, that would be really embarrassing and WE WOULD TELL EVERYONE!" Blackstar yelled.

"We just need some privacy, alright?"

"We're not leaving yet." Blackstar said with a smirk. Ayo walked over and shut the door. He turned the deadbolt a second before Blackstar could open it again.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Blackstar said, his voice muffled. Ayo ignored Blackstar's complaints.

"So, what about unpacking?" Ayo asked.

"Right, lets get going." Maka said, determination in her voice.

"Ayo, please report to the Death Room." A muffled voice of the intercom sounded through the hallway.

"Hmmm. They never say your last name." Maka said with a confused tone.

"I don't have one, I was just known by my first name my whole childhood." Ayo said as he walked to the door.

"You'll have to tell me later, I guess." Maka said, smiling. Ayo walked out the door and to the Death Room.

...

"Wazzap! How's it going kiddo?" Death asked in his kid voice, making the peace symbols with his hands.

"Okay, I guess."

"I have a mission just for you."

"A mission?"

"Yes, I am sending you to the Oceanic Division to do some Kishin Egg hunting, I know you have done this before so it shouldn't be too hard." Death explained.

"Oceanic Division? That's so far... away..."

"Don't worry Ayo, you won't be gone long."

"Okay, I guess I can't say no."

"You won't be long, okay?"

"Okay, when am I leaving?"

"Hmmm, we'll decide a date soon, okay?"

"Okay." Ayo said with a saddened tone. He didn't want to leave Maka behind. Ayo walked back to his dorm, Maka was in the middle of rearranging books on the empty bookcase that he never used.

"What did you get called for?"

"I got assigned another mission."

"What? Where and with who?"

"Oceanic Division, and it's just me."

"When do you start? How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know." Ayo said, his tone saddened. Maka reached over and hugged him.

"I'll miss you, even if your gone for only a day."

"I'll miss you too, Maka." Ayo said, his worries washing away as her gaze fixed on him.

"Soooo... want help unpacking?" Ayo said, changing the subject.

"Sure." Maka said. She handed him a large box of books.

"Why do you have so many books?" Ayo asked.

"I like reading." Maka said with a smile.

"That's an understatement." Ayo said. "Anyways, what is your favorite type of book to read?" He asked.

"Oh, just about any kind, it would take too long to say them all. What types of books do you like to read?" She asked. "I may have a book you like."

"Oh, well... I like adventure, action, and, um... romance." Ayo said, slightly blushing.

"Well, I might have just the right book for you." Maka said, plunging into a box near the center of the mess. She pulled out a book small enough to fit in a pocket, and handed of to him.

"Arrowhead?"

"Yep, it's a good book, but it's kind of short."

"I'll read it."

"Okay, but for now..." She said as she handed him the box of books. "You can put these on the shelves."

...

Ayo flopped onto his bed, tired from moving items all day. Maka flopped next to him, an exhausted smile on her face.

"That was the fastest move I've ever seen." Maka said, closing her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm tiiirrrrreeeeddddd." Ayo said, exhausted also. Maka and Ayo stared at each other.

"I'm going to bed." Maka said.

"Okay." Ayo said, walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Aren't you getting dressed?"

"Yes, so?"

"Don't you want some privacy?"

"Well, I wouldn't move in if I wanted privacy." Maka said, smiling. "Thanks, Ayo, your very considerate."

"Your welcome." He said, opening the door.

"I don't get it, why are you so shy around me all the time?" Maka asked.

"I, I don't know... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's cute." Maka said, smiling. Ayo was desperately trying to hide his blushing.

"Um... thanks." Ayo said, his voice faltering. Maka also started to blush. Ayo walked out of the room and shut the door. He started to stack the cardboard boxes and put them the closet. The house's layout was completely different. _It's going to take a bit to get used to the layout._

Ayo thought. He felt Maka's arms as she hugged him from behind, resting her head on his shoulders.

"Coming?"

"Ummm."

"Come on, don't be shy, I hope this doesn't happen every night." Maka said teasingly.

...

Ayo woke up, the sunlight beaming down through the window. He looked at Maka, she was cuddled against Ayo, facing the other way. He was extremely tired, but felt awkwardly comfortable with Maka. She moved a little, then turned to look at Ayo.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Ayo said, blushing hard.

"It's okay, it's almost time to wake up already." Maka said through a yawn. She rolled around and stared at Ayo, creating an awkward silence.

"Um, this is weird..." Ayo said, blushing badly. Maka said nothing, a tired look in her eyes. She cuddled against him and fell back asleep. _This is REALLY awkward._ Ayo thought to himself. _How long will I be gone? When will I leave?_ Ayo worried. He slowly got out of the bed, careful not to wake Maka. _I have to talk to Lord Death._ Ayo thought as he put on his shirt and grabbed his hat. He walked out the door and through the hallway.

...

Ayo walked silently through the hallway that led to the Death Room, The hallway was made of guillotines. Ayo wasn't sure Death would be awake, it was Sunday morning, after all. _Does Death even sleep?_ Ayo thought as he walked into the large room. Death was sitting at a table, drinking tea.

"Wazzap kiddo, you need anything?" He asked in his kid voice.

"I was wondering if you have figured out when I'm leaving?" Ayo asked.

"Ah, yes, I have. You will be leaving a month from now."

"A month?" Ayo repeated, his tone relaxing.

"Yep, then you'll stay a month there."

"What! A month there! You said it wouldn't be long..."

"Don't worry, a month will go by fast, it's only 30 days."

"Oh, okay..." Ayo said as he walked out the door.

...

Ayo was pacing in front of his door. _This isn't good._ Ayo thought. _We have to tell the gang BEFORE I leave, if not, it will have been 2 and a half months, and they'll definitely figure out then..._ Ayo opened his door and walked in. He needed to tell Maka the news. He walked into the bedroom to find Maka still sleeping in the bed. Ayo was still deciding to wake her up or not when she woke up herself and turned around.

"What woke you up so early? It's the weekend." Maka said through a yawn.

"My worries, I talked to Lord Death again."

"What did he say?"

"I asked him when I'll be leaving, he said in a month."

"Is that all? How long will you be gone?"

"I'll be gone a month." He said through a saddened tone.

"Don't worry, I'll be okay being alone a month."

"That's only one of my worries, in two months... people will begin to figure out..."

"What?" Maka asked, still trying to shake off her sleep.

"That you're... you know..." Maka grew a worried expression also.

"That's not good." She said in a worried tone.

"This means we have to tell the gang..." Ayo finished. The two sat in an awkward silence, letting the news sink in.

"When should we tell them?"

"I think as soon as possible, I don't want to tell them right before I leave and have you deal with everything by yourself."

"Like... right now as in today?"

"I don't know... I... I guess so, I mean, it won't be easy."

"Nobody expected this to be easy." Maka said, hugging Ayo. "No matter what happens, I'll always have you." Maka said embarrassingly, blushing.

"Um... thanks." Ayo said, blushing too.

"Come on, we'll eat breakfast, then we can tell the gang." Maka said as she got up.

...

Maka and Ayo walked down the hallway, gathering up people. They kept on glancing awkward looks at each other, as if they really didn't want to tell them. They had already got Blackstar and Tsubaki.

"Should we tell them all at once or one at a time?" Ayo asked Maka.

"Hmmm, I think all at once. It will be easier to tell them all at once." Maka said in an unsure tone.

"Tell us what, exactly?" Blackstar said.

"Yeah, what are we doing?" Tsubaki asked.

"We need to tell everybody something." Ayo said blankly. The group walked in silence as they wandered around, gathering the gang. They eventually all met in their dorm.

"So, what are we all doing here?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, why did all of us come here?" Crona asked.

"Did you buy a giraffe?" Patty asked, completely oblivious to the situation.

"This better be good." Blackstar said. Maka and Ayo kept on glaring at each other, as if they were waiting for the other to start.

"Having trouble?" Kid asked.

"No thanks, we can tell them ourselves." Ayo said, but the silence continued to stretch on.

"Maka's pregnant." Kid said blankly with no emotion.

"What!" Half the group chorused.

"KID!" Maka yelled, giving him a Maka-Chop.

"Is it true?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, is he lying?" Blackstar asked. Ayo shook his head.

"No, what he said... is true." Ayo said, looking at the ground.

"I can't believe it!" Blackstar said in surprise, but most of the group stayed quiet.

"Ha, I never thought that would happen in a million years!" Ragnarok said as he came out.

"SHUT UP!" Maka said, Maka-Chopping him also.

"Ouch!" Crona and Ragnarok said at the same time.

"Sorry Crona." Maka said, giving Ragnarok a death glare.

"Is this supposed to be a secret?" Tsubaki asked after a long silence.

"No, well, it won't be for long, even if you don't tell anybody, they'll figure it out themselves." Maka said, avoiding eye contact also. The group continued to be silent.

"That's all... you can go." Ayo said quietly. The gang filed silently out of the room. Ayo and Maka watched them walk away, embarrassed but relaxed expressions on their faces.

"I'm glad that's over." Ayo said.

"It's not over yet, were going to have to fight off Spirit."

Maka replied.

"Oh, yeah, I wonder how he is going to react." Ayo said, his tone worried. Ayo turned to see Spirit in the doorway.

"Oh, crap, how did he already find out?" Ayo said. Maka turned to face Spirit also. He was standing in the doorway, staring at them. He ran into the room and hugged Maka.

"Maka, my baby, you're all grown up! What are you going to name it!" He yelled.

"Dad... can't... breathe..." Maka said. Spirit let go of Maka, then turned to face Ayo. He walked up to him and pushed Ayo against the wall. Long, pitch black blades curved out of his back, stopping half an inch in front of Ayo's face.

"If you EVER hurt Maka, you won't get to see another day." Spirit said, towering over him.

"Spirit, stop torturing Ayo." Maka said as she dragged him away. He put his blades away, then stared at Maka.

"So, when are you love birds going to get married?" Spirit asked, smiling with hearts in his eyes. Maka and Ayo both blushed instantly.

"Um, neither of us has even thought that far ahead yet." Ayo said, trying to hide his blushing.

"Yeah, we're too young anyways." Maka said, blushing hard also.

"Let me know when you want to, because I want help." Spirit said as he walked out.

"That's like spending the night in Stein's laboratory." Ayo said quietly. "It's a death sentence."

"Yeah, no way in hell are we going to let him do that." Maka replied, her eyes narrowed. They both stared at each other, his worries washing away. Maka walked up and hugged him.

"So... would you?" Maka asked.

"Would I what?"

"Get married, you know, when all this is over and we're old enough."

"Uhhh, I've never thought that far..." Ayo said, blushing uncontrollably. Maka reached up and gave him a short kiss, then looked up at him.

"That's okay, we'll think about it later, when the time comes." Maka said, blushing also. They both stared at each other again, creating an awkward silence. Ayo turned when he heard a book fall. Tsubaki and Blackstar were looking at them through the door. Tsubaki was giggling quietly.

"Ew." Blackstar said blankly, covering his eyes.

"You guys are a cute couple, you know." Tsubaki said with a smile. Maka and Ayo were blushing badly now, still hugging.

"You guys need to keep your door shut." Blackstar said, running away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

...

Ayo woke up, rain pouring down outside. He turned to see Maka cuddled up against him again. _Even though it's been 2 weeks, it's still awkward._ Ayo thought, blushing. He slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake Maka. He put on his shirt and hat, then walked to the kitchen. _I'll make breakfast today, she's been pretty tired lately._ Ayo thought. _What should I make? Waffles? French Toast?_ Ayo turned to see Maka walking up behind him, she had a barely small bump on her belly.

"Hey, you cooked last time." Maka said, rubbing her eyes.

"It's alright, I've been noticing that you've been really tired lately." Ayo said in a worried tone.

"I'm okay, It's my turn to cook." Maka said through a yawn.

"I'm worried about you, you need some rest, please, it will make me feel better."

"Okay, you can cook, but I want to cook tomorrow." Maka said with a smile, pointing her finger at him.

...

"Today's homework will be the worksheet I handed out, I hope you payed attention today, because it's on today's lesson." Stein said, twisting the screw in his head. Almost on que, the bell began to ring. The swarming group of classmates were filing out of the room. Almost all the kids gave weird glances towards Ayo ever since they told the gang the news.

"Ayo, Maka, I would like to talk to you two please." Stein said. The duo walked up to Stein, watching as the rest of the kids filed out of the classroom.

"What did you need Stein?" Ayo asked, his tone worried.

"You don't have to worry, Ayo. I came to ask you guys something."

"What is it?" Maka asked.

"Later on, I'll be able to tell the gender of the baby, would you like to know then, or when it's born." Stein asked, his glasses giving off a blue glare.

"How can you tell before it's born?" Ayo asked.

"The main way is to use ultrasound, but I can also dissect too, if that's what you want."

"NOOOOO!" They both chorused.

"Okay, no dissecting. But which one do you choose?"

"Ummm, what do you think Maka?" Ayo asked.

"What do you think?" Maka asked back.

"Well, it would be nice to know beforehand, I guess." Ayo said awkwardly.

"Okay, I agree, we would like to know before." Maka said quietly. They both headed out of the room, carrying an awkward expression.

"Before you leave, Ayo, Lord Death wants you in his room, he says it's urgent." Stein said before turning around in his swivel chair. They both walked out of the room, exchanging a confused glance.

"I wonder what that could be?" Maka asked.

"I guess I'll find out." Ayo replied, his tone worried. He turned and walked down the hallway that led to the Death Room.

...

"Wazzap, good to see you kiddo, how's it going?"

"Fine, what did you need, you said it was urgent?"

"Oh, yes... well, you see... you're not going to like this... but you have to head for the Oceanic Division... tomorrow."

"What! Tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry kiddo, but things are getting pretty hairy over there, they need your help." Death replied, holding out his hands.

"Okay... I'll go... But would it be okay if... I want to be there when the child is born..." Ayo said, blushing badly.

"Don't worry, I won't let you miss that." Death said.

"Okay..." Ayo replied blankly as he walked out of the room.

...

Maka opened the door to find Ayo, his head drooped down.

"What happened, what's wrong?" She asked. Ayo walked up and hugged her.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, they're sending me to the Oceanic Division."

"What! Tomorrow?" Maka asked in surprise.

"Yes." Ayo said, his tone saddened.

"Don't worry Ayo, everything will be fine, I won't be too lonely." Maka said, her green gaze comforting him.

"I'll miss you." Ayo said. "Too much."

"I'll miss you too, Ayo." Maka said, her voice saddened. "I'll make you a nice meal, okay?" She added.

"I get to help, right?"

"No, I want to cook this one, for you."

"You said you would cook tomorrow."

"Well, I lied, I want to cook this one, It's the last meal anybody's going to give you for a while."

"Well, if you really want too, I guess you can. Thank you." Ayo said, giving in. Maka let go and walked Ayo to the couch.

"Sit." She ordered as she walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She began to grab items from the fridge and cupboards and set them on the counter. _What's she doing?_ Ayo thought to himself.

...

Ayo looked down at his plate, completely empty. Maka had made crispy chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy.

"Wow, that was an amazing meal." Ayo said, stuffed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Maka said with a smile. Ayo stood up and started to gather the plates.

"No, I got it." Maka said. Ayo looked at her, she had and odd expression on her face, as if she was sick.

"Look, Maka, I can tell you aren't feeling well, I'm worried about you doing anymore."

"No thanks, I'm fine, I can do this." Maka continued to walk on, but Ayo stood in the way.

"Thank you, Maka, but I'm serious, you don't look too well, and I don't want you hurting yourself, especially right before I leave."

"... Okay, I guess." Maka said, rubbing her eyes. Ayo led Maka to their room and sat her down on the bed.

"You get some rest, okay? I may have a mission, but your caring for two people now." Ayo said, hugging her.

"Okay, thank you Ayo."

"No, thank you, Maka." Ayo said as he walked out of the room. He stared at the pile of dishes, rolling up his sleeves.

"This shouldn't take long." He said to himself.

...

Ayo looked at the pile of clean dishes, a satisfactory smile on his face. He headed for the bedroom, opening the door slowly. He didn't feel like undressing, lifting up the blankets and crawling in. Ayo put his arm around Maka, but something wasn't right. _She feels really warm, too warm._ Ayo thought to himself. He got out and put his hand on her forehead. He walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where he grabbed a small thermometer. He walked back into the bedroom and gently woke up Maka.

"What is it?" She asked, barely lifting her eyes.

"Put this in your mouth real quick." Ayo said as he stuck the thermometer in, Maka made no protest. He pulled it out around minute later. _102!_ He read to himself. Ayo woke up Maka again.

"What is it this time?" She replied through a sleepy yawn.

"I'm taking you to the nurse, you're really sick." Ayo said as he helped her stand up. They walked through the door and out into the hallway. Maka walked a few steps, then keeled down.

"I feel really sick." She said, holding her stomach. _This isn't good._ Ayo thought. He picked up Maka and carried her in his arms up the stairs and through a second hallway. Ayo turned at a door with a single window. He kicked the door, having no luck knocking with his hands. A small brown eyed lady with black hair opened the door.

"Soma, Maka's really sick, she's running a high fever." Ayo said, his tone distressed.

"Okay, put her on the bed." Soma said. Ayo walked in and slowly put Maka down on the bed.

"I feel really sick." Maka repeated, reaching for the trash can. Ayo reached down and handed it to her.

"Are you okay?"

"Nope." Maka replied, almost on que, she threw up in the trash can.

"Could be food poisoning..." Soma said quietly.

"I've been eating the same food she has, it's not food poisoning." Ayo said his tone distressed. Soma reached into her drawer and pulled out a pair of stethoscopes. She pulled up Maka's shirt a little and went to put them on her stomach. She hesitated, noticing the small bump.

"Is she pregnant?" Soma asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes... for about a month now..." Ayo replied.

"Well... that would explain a lot." Soma said, putting away her stethoscopes back in her drawer. "This can happen sometimes, but don't worry, it's nothing serious." Soma replied.

"Okay, thanks, I was really worried."

"Wait a second, did you say a month?"

"Um, yes... why's that?"

"That was right around the time of the party, huh?" Soma asked, a smirk on her face. "You're the father, aren't you?"

"Um... Yeah." Ayo replied, blushing hard. It instantly went away when Maka threw up again. Ayo ran back to her side, a worried look on his face.

"Ayo... you can go... you need some rest." Maka said, sickness on her voice.

"I'm not leaving your side till the last minute." Ayo said, holding her hand.

"I'm fine, honestly." Maka said, throwing up again a few seconds later.

"Wait, where are you going?" Soma asked.

"Oceanic Division, I'll be gone a month." Ayo said, his tone saddened. "I never wanted to leave Maka's side."

"That's sad." Soma said. "But I'll keep a close eye on her, make sure she doesn't get ill while you're gone."

"Thank you, Soma, that means a lot."

"I can only imagine what you're going through right now, this is the least I can do."

...

Ayo woke up to a hand poking him. He opened his eyes to find himself still in Soma's office, with the nurse poking him awake.

"Hey, wake up. Have you been here all night?" She asked.

"Um, yeah... I guess so." Ayo replied. He looked over to the bed Maka was sleeping on, fast asleep.

"Her fever has gone down, she's okay now, but you better get ready for you're mission. She would be pretty upset if she figured out that she was causing you to be late."

"Oh, yeah, thanks Soma." Ayo said as he grabbed his hat off the floor and walked out the door.

"Hope Lord Death isn't mad at me." Ayo mumbled to himself. He walked to the school commons and turned down the hallway that led to the Death Room. He walked down the long hallway of guillotines into the death themed yet kid friendly room.

"Wazzap! You know your late, right?" Lord Death said.

"Yes, Maka got sick last night."

"Oh, is that so? Well, now that you're here, I can give you the names of the Kishin Eggs that need to be extinguished." Death said, handing him papers.

"It's like a book!" Ayo said in surprise.

"You don't have to get all of them, you start at the top. Those are the ones that have the highest priority to take down. Then you just go down the list until you run out of time." Death explained.

"For a month?"

"Yep."

"What happens if you get all of them before the time limit?"

"I've never seen that done before. It can take a few days just to find a single Kishin Egg."

"Oh, okay." Ayo said.

"Well, you might as well get going now, you're already late."

"Okay." Ayo said as he walked out of the room and down the hallway.

...

Ayo walked through the seemingly endless desert, following his map. _It will take at least a day to get there._ Ayo thought. His large backpack was weighing him down, and the heat from the sun didn't help. _Now I know how BJ felt, walking here._ Ayo looked up, there was buzzards circling above him. _I have enough water and food to survive week here._ He thought to himself. _I'm only staying here one night._ Ayo's feet were sore in the sandals he was wearing. He didn't feel like getting sand in his shoes. It was like a wasteland, there were no trees, and if there were, they were dead. The only vegetation was small brown/green bushes that were scattered every so often. Ayo saw mirages every now and then, seemingly endless water in front if him. He knew it was a mirage, he had seen them before, but they never looked so vivid. Ayo continued to walk on, he could see the heat rising from the sand. _She never got to say goodbye..._ Ayo thought sadly. No matter what he tried to think about, Maka always interrupted his thoughts, her smile scattering them. _Don't worry Maka, I'll be back as soon as I can._

...

Maka woke up, light blinding her. She opened her eyes slightly, examining the room around her. _Oh yeah, I was sick last night, wasn't I?_ Maka asked herself.

"I see you're awake now, how do you feel?" Soma asked.

"Where is Ayo?" Maka asked, completely ignoring her question.

"He left for his mission, I literally had to force him out, he really loves you." Soma said, busy working with papers.

"Oh, was he late?"

"No, he wasn't, he would have been though."

"Oh, well, I'm going to head home now..."

"That's okay, I have already checked you. But can you tell me how you feel?" Soma asked.

"I feel, well, really tired and still kind of nauseated." Maka said, holding her stomach.

"Go to your house and get some rest now, I'll call Stein and tell him you're sick." Soma said, grabbing the phone.

"You can leave now." Soma added. Maka slowly got up, not to upset her stomach, and walked to the door. _This sucks, I hate being sick, I'm missing lessons now._ Maka thought to herself. She looked around the hallway, people were giving her weird glances. _Can they see that I'm pregnant already?_ Maka asked herself. She looked down, realizing she was still in her pajamas. _Oh, that makes sense._ She thought as she walked down the stairs into the dorm hallway. Maka walked a ways, then turned and opened her door. She walked inside, ignoring the lights that were still on in the kitchen, and flopped down on the bed. _I miss him already._ She thought to herself, but Maka was too tired to think much, and fell fast asleep.

...

Ayo stared at the roof of the tent, trying to ignore the howling wind outside. _First I think it is too weird to sleep with Maka, and now I can't even sleep without her!_ Ayo thought, his heart filled with pain. _I wish I would have at least tried to tell Death no._ Ayo reached over and grabbed his water bottle. _At least I'm protected from the bugs._ Ayo tried to get comfortable, but he had no luck. He opened his tent and put on his sandals, then walked to the large sand hill nearby. Ayo looked far out into the horizon, the Oceanic Division DWMA far in the distance. The city was large, the lights illuminating the sky. He looked back, Death city wasn't in sight for a long time now. _I miss you..._ Ayo thought, the wind blowing sand in his face. Ayo covered his eyes, blocking the sand until the wind died down. _At least it's quiet here._ Ayo turned when he heard footsteps behind him. There was a large, muscular man. One of his eyes was a triangle with some text he couldn't read on it. A tattoo that said No Future on his eyebrow.

"Who are you?" Ayo asked, taking a step back.

"I am Free."

"No... I asked you what you're name is."

"That's my name... Free."

"Okay... Free... what are you doing here?"

"Well, that's easy, I'm here to kill you."

"Kill me? Where's you're weapon partner?"

"Ha, I don't need one."

"Honoo!" Ayo yelled. The weapon came out of him like a liquid, forming into swords. "You must be pretty stupid to battle a person from the academy."

"Oh really, well, you see, I have already battled people from the academy."

"Really? Well, I guess I'll have to finish their battle. Honoo, Strength Skill!" Ayo ran up and slashed at Free, cutting half his torso clean through. Ayo turned towards Free, he turned towards Ayo, his body merging together again.

"What the hell?" Ayo said in surprise.

"I think you're the stupid one, I'm immortal you see!"

"What! I thought immortality was impossible!"

"Well, you're wrong!" Free yelled. He lifted his arms and began to transform. _Is he doing some sort of Soul Resonance?_ Ayo thought. Free burst off his skin, revealing a large werewolf with yellow eyes.

"Scared?"

"Hell no, Honoo, lets go, Soul Resonance!" His sword's flames grew stronger, jetting out of his swords a few feet.

"Honoo, Sonic Skill!" Ayo yelled. Free lifted his arms again, and Ayo felt something trembling beneath his feet. He moved just in time, revealing an explosion where he once stood. He lifted his arms again, but Ayo knew what was coming. He ran up and slashed at Free again in a split second. Free healed again, turning towards Ayo.

"Didn't I tell you already? I'm immortal!" Free yelled as he lifted his arms again. Ayo dodged it easily, zooming behind Free. _He might just be trying to scare me!_ Ayo thought.

"Change of plans, Free, capture him!" A voice from above said, extremely familiar.

"KAGE! Come down here and fight me!" Ayo yelled, looking above him. She was floating on a broom, high above him. He turned towards Free again. _If he really is immortal, I can't kill him, but I can trap him!_ Ayo thought. He ran around Free in a circle, going too fast for him to even see Ayo. Ayo then lifted his swords towards Free, and created a large circle of ice, trapping him.

"Hey, what's this for!" He yelled, his head the only part of his body out of the ice. _I must try to kill him! I can't get trapped, I would never see Maka again._ Ayo thought to himself.

"Honoo, God's Skill!" He yelled. His swords merged into its familiar silver color, the three colored flames jetting out of his sword, he aimed it at Free. _It's working!_ He thought to himself as the shadows of the night around him began to absorb into his sword, leaving the sand it's color as if it was daylight. The shadow beam went straight through Free, which turned to light, destroying everything in its path. Ayo looked around to see the shadows engulfing him again, the moonlight shining down. There was a large hole, going clean through the ice and Free.

"Didn't I tell you already? I'm immortal!" He yelled, breaking through the ice. _My moves are completely ineffective against him, I can only trap him!_ He thought. Suddenly, a rainbow colored rectangle developed around him. _Another spell!_ Ayo tried to run, but just bounced when he hit the wall.

"No! I can't be trapped!" Ayo yelled slashing at the barrier. _Ouch!_ Ayo looked down to see a long cut on himself. _Any attacks will deal damage to me also._ Ayo thought. He stared at Free, preparing himself for an attack. But he just stood there, watching as Kage floated down on her broomstick.

"Bring him to my lair, and put him in the manipulation cell."

"Alright, but that's all I'm doing, that was the deal." Free said as he lifted his arms, lifting the box that Ayo was in also.

"Nooo!" He yelled, slamming his fists on the wall, which hit him back. Ayo looked up, his vision blurred. _Ouch, I forgot._ He thought.

...

"Maka Albarn, please report to the Death Room immediately." A voice over the intercom boomed loudly, filling the classroom. Maka looked around, but nobody was giving her weird looks anymore, the news had died down. _It's been a week since he left, I wonder how he's doing._ Maka thought as she walked down the stairs and out the door. _Could this be about Ayo? I hope nothing's gone wrong._ She thought as she walked down the hallway of guillotines. She walked into the clearing, Death and Azusa were standing in the middle, facing towards her.

"Wazzap, good to see you!" Death said, waving his large hands. Azusa just readjusted her square glasses, giving off a blinding glare.

"So, what did you need me for?" She asked in a confused tone.

"Well, we have a bad situation here." Death began, holing his hands out.

"A bad situation?"

"Well, yes, Ayo has gone missing."

"WHAT! Missing!"

"Yes, evidence suggests he was kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?"

"Yes, his tent was set up, but his soul is not in the desert." Azusa replied, still messing with her glasses. Maka sat down on her knees, tears forming in her eyes.

"No! How can this happen!" Maka yelled.

"Don't worry, we are trying to figure this out, we will send a rescue team as soon as possible." Death said, trying to comfort Maka. Tears were streaming down her face now.

"Ayo!" She yelled, slamming her fists on the ground.

"Don't worry, we will find him soon." Death said. Maka had no reply, she just got up.

"I can't believe it! We have to find him!" Maka said. She turned and began to run out, but Death blocked her path.

"You know you can't fight Maka."

"Yes, I can!"

"Would Ayo let you fight, even if he was captured?" Lord Death replied. Maka stood for a moment, staring at Death.

"You're right." She replied, her tone saddened.

"Don't worry, we will find him!" Death said. Maka walked past him and down the hallway, her head drooped.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

...

Ayo woke up to find himself in the dark. _Where am I?_ He thought. Suddenly, a light turned on, and he found himself in a small room. The floor was a white tile, the walls were painted red. There was one door. _Can I open it?_ He asked himself. He reached for the knob and turned it. _Locked! Dammit!_ He turned around, Maka standing behind him.

"Maka!" He yelled he ran up to hug her, but she blocked him. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean what's wrong? Haven't you noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"What do you mean?! It's all your fault! All of it!"

"Wha- I'm sorry... I-"

"No, don't even try! Men are worthless careless bastards!"

"What? Maka, since when did you think-"

"Are you kidding me! Everything you have done, it's all your fault! You're careless, you never think about anyone but yourself!"

"Maka? What's wrong with you? You never act this way..."

"That's because I've been holding it in, I thought you would have noticed by now, but no!" Maka said, pushing him away. _What's wrong with her?_ Ayo thought.

"Now I'm pregnant! You truly are a heartless bastard!" Maka said, attempting punching Ayo in the face. He dodged her attack, backing away. _Wait! If she's pregnant, then..._ Ayo paused.

"Who are you?"

"Who do you think I am!? Don't play stupid with me!" Maka said, going for another punch, but Ayo blocked it and threw her against the wall.

"Ouch! You're hurting me!"

"You're not Maka... If you were, then you would have that small bump on your stomach." Ayo said, pointing to her belly. "Also, the real Maka would never say such things! You're tie is also white with green stripes and your wearing shoes and not boots. I've never seen those shoes..." The fake Maka stared into his eyes.

"Alright, you caught me, but you did it quite fast." The fake Maka said in an extremely familiar voice.

"Kage!" Ayo yelled, pointing his finger at her. The fake Maka transformed into the witch.

"Yes, it's me, and it's also obvious that you are much smarter than most people I trap. Oh well, I guess I'll have to kill you." Kage said, shadows creeping from under the door.

"Honoo!" Ayo yelled, but he wouldn't summon. _What the hell! Where is he?_ Ayo thought. The shadows were still flowing from underneath the door and being absorbed by the witch. _Wait a second, she didn't chant, I don't have Honoo, and she transformed into Maka, this has to be an illusion._ Ayo thought. He began to walk up to the witch. The shadows formed long spears and pierced into him, but Ayo didn't stop. He continued to walk forward, the spears going all the way through him. Ayo winced in pain. _It's just a dream!_ Ayo thought. He continued to walk until he reached the witch, which he grabbed by the throat and lifted her up.

"You will never take over my mind!" He yelled.

"Oh, I will, It will just take time..." Kage said as his surroundings started to fade.

...

Ayo woke up, extremely sore. He rolled over, trying to see his surroundings. He was in a normal cell, but the weird rectangular spell was still around him. _How long does this spell last?_ Ayo thought. For some reason, he was extremely hungry. _How long has it been since I ate?_ Ayo could barely see, but he was able to make out some of his surroundings because of the eerie glow that the spell gave off. There was someone in a chair next to him, chained to the wall and heavily shackled with a blindfold on.

"Hey, who are you?" He asked, the person stayed still.

"Hey, can you hear me? Yes, you, right next to me."

"Yes?" The girl replied. She sounded like she was very old, her voice creaked, as if it hasn't been used in many years.

"Hello, what are you in here for?"

"Why do you care? You DWMA students are all the same."

"What! How did you know?"

"You're Ayo, sorry, you are actually a decent person. A lot of people from the school are brats."

"Wait, how do you know so much, did you just get put in here?"

"No, I have been in this jail for many years, 487 to be exact. I am a witch."

"A witch? Well, why are you in another witches prison?"

"I am a light witch, I posses many powers extremely great, Kage, my sister, despised me because I was so powerful. She locked me up in here, where I am helpless to get out."

"Wow, I have never sided with a witch, but I think we may be able to get out of here."

"Ha, I have no plan. My brain is so old, I have run out of ideas a long time ago."

"No, I have to think, some way out of here!"

"What's got you so desperate? Oh, yes, I almost forgot! You're girlfriend is pregnant!"

"Yes, I don't want to leave her behind! A kid can't grow up without a parent missing, it doesn't work like that, that would be terrible!"

"Yes, it would, that happened to me, I grew up without a father. You know what, if you can think of a plan, I will be with you, every step of the way."

"I... I don't know how to thank you..."

"Trust me, getting out of here would be a dream come true." The old witch said, turning her head a little. Ayo looked around, wondering what to do. _Here's the deal..._ Ayo thought to himself. _My first job is to break out of this cage thing. I can't do anything beforehand. Secondly, I have to somehow kill Free, who is guarding me, so that he can't trap me again. Then I have to free the old witch, who could easily help me escape and kill Kage. Then, destroy everything..._ Ayo looked around and located Free, who was sitting in a chair, his back facing him. He began to stir, as if he just woke up. _Good, he didn't hear us plan then._ Free turned, rubbing his eyes. He lifted his arms, and the cell's color grew stronger. _So that's how I'm trapped, the spell will wear off, so he has to keep on refreshing it._

"Hey Free?"

"What do you want?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you something, I'm confused a little. How in the world did you get your magic? We're you born with it?"

"No, of course not! This eye gave me power!" He said, pointing to the weird eye.

"So, wait a second, were you born immortal, or did that eye make you immortal? You must have been strong to take down the person who had that eye." Ayo said in a jealous tone.

"Yep, the eye came from the grand witch Maaba, making me immortal, she was hard to take down, but I'm a strong person, you know." Free stated, puffing out his chest. _Yeah, of course, that's it!_ Ayo thought. Ayo waited for what seemed hours, waiting for Free to go to sleep. When he finally heard snoring, he turned to the old witch.

"Hey, hey! Hey witch lady." Ayo whispered. The old witch turned her head.

"My name is Akari." The old witch spoke.

"Yes, Akari, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, I guess so."

"You know Free, right?"

"You mean the man that stole Maaba's eye? I remember that day..."

"Well, do you think you could take the eye out of him?"

"Me? Ha! That deed needs an insane amount of power!"

"How much? What type of power?"

"Like, the power of the sun! I am a light witch, so I would need light."

"Would my light beam work?"

"Light beam? Oh yeah, I forgot, your Contrast Blast."

"What?"

"You don't even know the name of your own move?"

"Um... no..."

"Your move wouldn't be enough, I'm sorry, I would need another one of you for that to work."

"But, wait, If I could use Soul's Sound Resonance, it might work!"

"Soul? You mean Soul Eater? Ah, yes, his piano, he sure has used it a lot. It makes black blood stronger, and if you have black blood, it makes you stronger as well. But, if you don't have black blood, you can get infected with it. It has caused a lot of problems."

"Problems?"

"Yes, Maka, your friend, has almost been consumed by black blood many times, but she has always been able to snap out of it back to sanity. But using his soul is not the only way you can strengthen your black blood. You can do it yourself."

"What! How?"

"I don't know, it is different for everyone, but Soul Eater has found a way to control his power and also spread it to others. If you try hard enough, you may be able to tap into your powers also."

"Really? I'll try! I have too!"

"Now now, be careful what you wish for. Soul Eater had many consequences for using his, as there will be for you also. You cannot let the madness of the black blood take over you, or you will be consumed." Ayo stared at Akari, all shackled up. _Whatever happens, I will come back sane!_ He thought to himself.

...

Ayo sat down and closed his eyes. He relaxed everything, and soon found himself in a strange room. The floor was tiled black and red, and the room was surrounded with a red curtain with a single door. There was a chair and an acoustic guitar next to it. An old recorder was playing jazz music, constantly skipping after a while. There was a short weird red creature in a black tuxedo, he had a large head with horns on either side, and was dancing creepily.

"Where am I?" Ayo asked, walking to the center of the room. The devil-like creature didn't listen, continuing to dance.

"Hey, why are you swing dancing to jazz music?" Ayo asked. The devil-like creature stopped and stared at Ayo.

"This is in you're head, I'm a part of you, you know." It spoke in a weird accent.

"Who are you?"

"I represent the black blood that coarses through your veins. You see, I can make you more powerful, that's why you came here, right? You wanted more power?"

"Well, I guess.. How come I was only able to come here now?" Ayo asked.

"Because you had no need for power, my friend. But, if you want to ever see your dearest friend again, you need more power, am I right?"

"Yes... you're right."

"Well then, come with me my friend." It said as it walked towards the guitar. It changed from an acoustic guitar to an electric guitar. Ayo walked up and grabbed it.

"What's this for?"

"Play it, it will start the big concert."

"Big concert? What concert?"

"Playing the guitar will amplify the black blood in your veins, the madness will spread through you and you will be unstoppable!" The thing said, pointing at the guitar.

"Wait, the madness?"

"Of course! With its power, nothing shall stop you! You can break out of this cell and save your friend. You shall have the power to give to Akari to remove Maaba's eye, and you can see your dearest friend." The thing replied.

"Go on, play." It persuaded.

"Wait a sec."

"What! What now?" It said impatiently.

"How do I know you're telling the truth? Won't the cell bounce back the energy and kill me? How do I know you are not trying to kill me?"

"Like I said before, I am a part of you, and if you die, so do I." Ayo stared at the thing for a moment, then looked around. There were 3 of the devil-like creatures now, one was a drummer, one was another rock guitar, and the other had a base guitar. _I wonder how they know which song I'm going to play?_ Ayo thought. He picked up the guitar and put his fingers on the familiar strings.

"Let's go!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

...

Ayo woke up, his heart racing. _Was that a dream?_ Ayo thought. He heard a small tune, coming from his soul. It was the song! The heavy metal was pulsing through him, Ayo felt bursting with energy he never felt before. He stood up.

"Honoo!" He yelled. His swords came out and formed in his hands. "Let's go, Soul Resonance." He yelled again. Free turned around and looked at him with a puzzled glance.

"Honoo, God's Skill!" He yelled. Ayo looked down, but his swords wasn't combining into a single sword. Both swords expanded and turned silver with their familiar 3 colored flames. "TWO of them?" He thought. Ayo thrust his swords into the shield. He braced for impact, but the shield spell shattered instantly. Free turned around again.

"What the heck? How in the world did you do that?" Free exclaimed. Ayo sliced through the bars that led to Akari's cell, then cut off her shackles. She took off her blindfolds, revealing a very old woman. Ayo sliced through the bars and hopped out with Akari.

"Hold on a second! You shall not pass!" Free said, standing between him and the door. Ayo turned towards Akari.

"I will hold him off while you gather your strength, tell me when you're ready." Akari ordered him. "You need to hit me with all the light you got, don't worry, I have seen you're move, I know how to harness it." Ayo moved away as Free began to chant. He ignored the ongoing fight and aimed his swords at Akari. _Hit her with all the light I've got, huh?_ Ayo thought. He focused on the heavy metal song, playing loudly in his soul now. The shadows around him were being absorbed into his sword, but instead of leaving white behind, it was continuously being absorbed, as if the shadows were producing more shadows. _I will hold in as much as I can, the give it all I have._ Ayo thought. He wasn't focused on the fight, he was trying to keep himself awake. He held it in for what seemed ages, until he was almost asleep.

"Hold it in longer, you need to absorb double the power you have!" Akari said, continuously trapping Free. _How is that possible! I can barely keep myself awake!_ He thought. He felt a small object in his pocket. He pulled it out with his teeth, curious, and found a small book. Ayo could barely make out the title. _Arrowhead?_ He read, then memories flashed through him, that whole day. _No, I have to stay awake, I will never see Maka again if I fail!_ Ayo looked up, the shadows finally being absorbed a little, leaving behind a shiny white light. It was barely visible, but the shadows were slowly being absorbed.

_I must stay awake, I must beat Kage!_ Ayo yelled. Anger was flowing through him now. The shadows were flowing in like molasses, extremely slow. Even though Ayo was enraged, his vision started to blur. _No, this can't happen!_ Ayo thought. He fought desperately to try to stay awake, his eyelids felt like lead. His vision was starting to go black now. _How do I breath again?_ He thought.

"Now!" He heard Akari. Ayo let go with all he had. As the shadow beam escaped, he felt more awake. He opened his eyes again to find the beam going straight through Akari.

"Akari, no!" He yelled, then, everything turned pitch black and the beam turned into pure light. Akari held her hands open and sucked in the light, her body being healed again. She turned towards Ayo, then Free. The light illuminated the whole jail in a blinding light, Ayo could barely see. Akari turned towards Free, holding the ball of light. Akari thrust it into her chest, and her body began to glow as brightly as the ball did, she raised her arms.

"Blinding light, fading shadows." She chanted. "SUPERNOVA!" Akari's soul and Free's soul expanded. Ayo could SEE their souls. He watched as Free's soul began to change. There was a triangle on it, it had the same strange language encrypted around it. He watched as the triangle began to shine, after a few seconds, it exploded, leaving a chunk in his soul. Then their souls disappeared from Ayo's view. Ayo looked at Free, he was on the ground, holding his face. Akari dropped to the ground.

"Akari!" Ayo yelled as he ran over to her. "Akari, what happened!"

"I, I... I had to give my soul, you... you must go now, kill Free and Kage."

"Why! You didn't tell me you would DIE when you used the spell!" Ayo yelled.

"Ayo, a supernova is a large sun that destroys itself, but it also is how most metals are formed."

"I don't need a science lesson! Why did you sacrifice yourself?! What can I do to make it up to you?"

"You need to be with Maka, Free and Kage must be vanquished, I sacrificed myself for these things. I would have no life after this anyways, but I need to ask you a favor..."

"What is that?"

"Keep my soul when I die. When you battle Kage, thrust it in her chest, she will die. Also, when Honoo becomes a Death Scythe, have him eat my soul as his last. That is what I would like you to do, for me." Akari said. She closed her eyes and began to fade away. Her soul was the only thing left of her. Ayo grabbed it and put it in his bag, then looked at Free. He aimed his swords at Free and fired a quick beam of light, going clean through him.

"Didn't I tell you, I'm immor-..." Free stopped mid sentence. He keeled down, grabbing his chest.

"You... How did you..." Free began, but fell to the ground. His body faded and his soul came out.

"One more soul left to collect." Ayo said aloud. He ran through the hallway and sliced through the door easily. Guards were running around, yelling random words he couldn't understand. He turned and focused on one person.

"KAAAAGGGGEEE!" Ayo yelled. The witch turned around and stared at him.

"So, want to play some more? I'll have Free capture you again and use a stronger spell this time." Kage replied.

"Oh, too bad, he's DEAD."

"You idiot, he is immortal!"

"No, HE isn't immortal, his eye is." Ayo said, pulling out Free's soul.

"What! HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT HE'S IMMORTAL THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Kage yelled. "You can't kill me, I'll just fade into the shadows like last time!"

"Oh, but this time, you won't." Ayo said as he pulled out Akari's soul. He ran up to Kage in a split second, and before she could react, he trust in Akari's soul with both hands, sending Kage flying across the room. Kage looked at her chest.

"Ha!" She yelled. A light began to glow from inside Kage. "What the?" She exclaimed in surprise. She suddenly exploded in a burst of light, and there were two souls floating.

"Thank you, Akari." Ayo said aloud.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

...

Ayo walked towards Death City, it was in his sight now. He stumbled over the roots of the trees. He was utterly exhausted, roaming through the woods. The pain of hunger and thirst was choking him. He stumbled into the street and headed straight for the stairs. There was a group of people talking, and one of them turned towards him.

"AYO!" A bald kid with weird glasses said. Ayo collapsed to the ground and the weird man caught him

"Ox, what are we going to do? What's happened to him?" Kim said, beginning to freak out.

"I don't know, we have to get him to Stein." Ox said, Ayo's vision blurred and he passed out.

...

Ayo barely lifted his eyes to see a crowd of people surrounding his bed. He seemed like he was being chocked.

"Alright Maka, let go of him!" Stein yelled. Ayo opened his eyes to see Maka. The sight of her almost made him faint, her belly was huge as if someone stuck a beach ball inside her. Ayo slowly lifted his hand and pointed her stomach.

"How the heck did that happen?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"What did you think would happen after 6 months? Never mind, you're here and that's what counts!" Maka said, tears forming in her eyes.

"WHAT! 6 MONTHS! I WAS ONLY GONE FOR A FEW DAYS!"

"No, you weren't, Ayo." Stein said, adjusting his glasses. "You were pretty messed up, thinking it was only a few days. What happened to you anyways?" Ayo reached into his bag, looking for the souls he collected, but it was gone. Ayo ran up and backed Stein against the wall.

"Where did you put the souls!" He yelled. The group was staring in silence.

"What souls?"

"AKARI'S SOUL! WHERE DID YOU PUT IT?!"

"The souls? I gave them to Lord Death..." Before Stein could even reply more, Ayo pulled out his swords.

"Let's go, Soul Resonance! Sonic Skill!" Ayo yelled. Everybody leaped back as Ayo charged out the door at lightning speed, blowing papers all over the place.

"We need to get Ayo, now." Stein said, running out the door.

...

The group walked in to see Ayo yelling at Lord Death.

"WHERE DID YOU PUT THE SOULS!?"

"You want to know about the souls?"

"YES!"

"Where I put them?"

"YES!"

"Too bad, I'm not going to tell you." Lord Death said after a long pause.

"Give them BACK! HONOO, GODS SKILL!" He yelled. Both his swords turned into extremely large silver swords, the 3 flames jetting out a few feet from each sword.

"TELL ME!" Ayo yelled, sticking the large swords near Lord Deaths face.

"Okay, okay, put those down you, here." Death said, handing over Ayo's bag. He put Honoo away and grabbed his bag hugging it. Ayo then walked over to Maka, her eyes filled with worry. Blackstar jumped in between Maka and Ayo.

"You won't hurt her!" He yelled. But Ayo pushed aside Blackstar and walked up to Maka. He pulled out Kage's soul, then have it to her.

"My gift to you, Maka." Ayo said, his voice hoarse. Maka looked at the soul, then back to Ayo.

"Who's soul is this?"

"Kage's."

"What? This is Kage's soul?"

"Yes." Maka looked at Ayo, then hugged him.

"I missed you too much."

"I missed you too, Maka, I thought I lost you forever." The group stared in silence.

"So, you said souls, as in plural, you have more?" Stein asked.

"Oh, yes, here Stein, have fun." Ayo said as he pulled out Free's soul.

"WHAT! HOW DID YOU GET FREE'S SOUL!" Half the gang chorused. Lord Death walked up also.

"How did you take an immortals soul?" Death asked.

"With the help of a witch." Ayo said as he pulled out Akari's soul.

"AKARI!" Lord Death said in surprise, his deep voice billowing through the room. He reached for the soul, but Ayo backed away.

"THIS IS MY SOUL, I MADE A PROMISE AND I PLAN TO KEEP IT!" Ayo yelled, backing away. Stein stepped in between Death and Ayo.

"Lord Death, it is Ayo's soul, and it's not like she is a problem anymore, it's just a soul now." Stein said. Lord Death changed his expression.

"I'm sorry, I overreacted a little, didn't I? Yes, it is your soul, but what are you going to do with the power that soul has? What is you're promise?" Death said, now in his kid voice.

"I promised that I would use her soul to complete Honoo and turn him into a Death Scythe."

"Did you kill Akari?"

"Yes." Ayo lied. "I have to keep her promise, it's something special and I know it." He thought.

"You plan to keep her soul for that long?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, now, how did you kill Free?"

"Yeah, isn't that impossible?"

"FREE isn't immortal, the EYE he had made him invincible."

"You took his eye out? How?" Stein asked.

"Yep, well..." Ayo's vision suddenly blurred and he fell to the floor.

"You need to get back to the nurses office." Stein replied as he carried him away.

...

Ayo woke up in the nurses office. He sat up, but a hand put him back down again.

"You need rest." A familiar voice said above. He turned to see Maka sitting next to him.

"Maka, I'm sorry. I am sorry that I wasn't there. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you, to help you through you're troubles. I'm sorry that I was tricked, and that I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry, I WASN'T THERE FOR YOU." Ayo began to cry.

"Please, don't cry, I don't blame you for anything, none of this is you're fault. I missed you..."

"I missed you to..."

Ayo tried to sit up again, but Maka stopped him again.

"Please, just stay and rest."

"Maka, I am terribly sorry." Maka ignored Ayo and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Ayo."

"What!?"

"Kage and Free are now gone, thanks to you." Ayo stared at Maka for what seemed like ages.

"Thank you Maka, that means a lot." Ayo said as he pulled out a small book. It had many folds scattered among the cover, but the title was still visible.

"That's the book I gave you!"

"Yes, and I read it. It was amazing." Ayo said, handing the book over to Maka. Maka closed his hand and pushed it back.

"It's yours, keep it." Maka said, smiling. "Do you want anything from our room?"

"Yes, I do."

"What is it?"

"You." He replied with a smile, blushing heavily.

"Wow, just got back and your messing around already. What OBJECT would you like from our room." She replied, hitting him in the head lightly with her book.

"A book please."

"What book?"

"Your favorite book." Ayo replied.

"That's like asking a kid what is his favorite candy is while standing in a candy store." Soul said as he walked inside.

"I have a favorite book!" Maka replied, smiling.

"How you feeling kid?" Soul asked Ayo.

"Tired, that's all." Ayo replied.

"Well, get a good nights sleep."

"Plan too." Ayo said as he waved goodbye to the group.

"Hey, hold on a second!" Blackstar said as he ran inside, a big black marker in his hand.

"Blackstar, you can't tell me your actually going to-" Maka began, but he ran past her and jumped into Ayo's bed. He pinned his arms down with his knees and took off the tip, revealing a large Sharpie pen.

"No!" Ayo yelled, but he couldn't move, he was too tired. Ayo felt Blackstar drawing something on his forehead, the on his lip.

"BLACKSTAR, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" Ayo yelled as Blackstar ran off, his signature on Ayo's forehead.

...

Ayo woke up to Soma scrubbing his face.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry, the marker is off now." She replied, backing away. He tried to sit up, but he didn't have the strength to do so, and laid back down.

"Could I go to my dorm?" He asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Who's going to take care of you?" Soma replied. Ayo thought for a moment, then relaxed.

"How is Maka doing? Has she gotten sick again?"

"Ayo, it has been half a year, she's gotten sick many times, but so has everybody else."

"How the baby doing?"

"It's going good." She replied.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Don't know yet, Maka didn't want to do the ultrasound without you." Soma replied. A knock sounded from the door. Maka walked in, carrying a large book.

"Here you go!" She said with a smile.

"Soul Science?"

"Yep."

"That is your favorite book?"

"Well, no, not exactly. My favorite book would have bored you, so I got you this."

"Is this a textbook?"

"No, silly, I know you hate textbooks, I'm not trying to torture you." She said with a smile.

"I'll read it." Ayo said, setting the book next to him.

"So, can I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure." Maka said, sitting down.

"Do you want to do the ultrasound?"

"I wanted to wait for you, but now that I think about it, I want it to be a surprise."

"That's okay, I agree." The two stared at each other for a while.

"What do you want to name the child?" Maka asked.

"What do you want to name it?"

"I don't know yet. Just say a name."

"Hmmm. Okay... How about Kibou?"

"What does it mean?"

"It means hope."

"All students report to the commons." A voice over the intercom said.

"Hmmm." Ayo said as he went to get up, but Maka stopped him.

"I'll go, then report the news." She said as she slowly walked away. It seemed like an hour before she returned.

"This isn't good." She said as she walked up to him.

"What's wrong?"

"Another... another Kishin has been born, more powerful than the last."

...

End of Book Two

...

Yay, now for the third book! (I know, the second book was kind of run-on-ish, don't you think?)

...

Kibou joins the DWMA along with the children of Maka and Ayo's generation! Will he be the only hope the DWMA has in defeating the new Kishin?


End file.
